Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Mashimaro]

I am clueless in this area.
I am having some korean friends over and I'd like to put on some wine and cheese. So I'd really like to hear about some decent, inexpensive wines and cheeses and where to pick them up.

They don't have to be amazing or anything, i expect you get what you pay for to some extent, and the main thing is they suit korean tastes somewhat.

thanks for any tips

[VanIslander]

[teachingld2004]

I may get "yelled" at from people on this board, but instead of wine and cheese, I would serve beer and fruit!

I had some Korean friends over before Christmas, and I had wine and cheese. 2 people poured glasses of wine, and they had one sip. They asked if I had beer.

I had cheese out, and after they left I put the cheese back in the refrig. I made banana bread, and they loved it. I had apples, pears, oranges, and a fresh pineapple. They loved those fruits also.

You can have a bit of wine and cheese, but I would say just enough for a sample. You can say this is what you and your friends at home like, and possibly they will try some.

Nuts are good.

Have a nice time with your friends, I am sure even if they do not like what you put out, they will be happy that you invited them.

Take pictures. Send them via e-mail to your friends. Possibly print out a few and hand them out, Everyone loves pictures

[Richard Krainium]

I picked up a 4 liter box of Hardy's claret at carrefoure today for 19,000. It's not great but you can have a good party with it. Any kinda fruit or spicy/salty side dish goes well with it. In fact, I'm feeling quite nice right now!

[mindmetoo]

Seoul Milk makes a nice mild mozzarella and it's not a bad price. Most Koreans don't seem to realize cheese comes in forms other than sliced and processed.

Wine: just avoid Jinro wine. Something like 2000 won for a half bottle. It's the kind of stuff you "uncork" for a joke. You can get some decent French bottles, red or white, for sub 10,000 won.

[Jaygee]

There's a Wal Mart close to my house in Daechidong and they have a good selection of red and white. I found some nice Bordeaux and Beaujolais at around 10,000 W on "special". As for cheese, Costco can supply you with very decent cheeses. But has teachingld2004 was writing, try to offer variety and enjoy your gathering.

[Son Deureo!]

Carrefour is probably the best place to go for a good selection of wine at a reasonable price.

If they have it, Chinon is a good French red, and Vouvray is a great French white and I have seen both at Carrefour at reasonable prices. Merlots and Cabernet Sauvignons are always good, too.

For cheese, go with milder cheeses. Brie and camembert are good and mild, and readily available. I've seen Koreans enjoy them. They tend not to like sharp cheeses, like sharp cheddar, or moldy cheeses like roquefort.

Oh, and don't forget to have a good crusty bread handy.

[Mashimaro]

thanks for the tips guys, keep em coming.

need to find some nice (again, ideally cheap) wine glasses somwhere too.

also what temperature should wines be served at?

[Paji eh Wong]

I've had good luck with Koreans and havarti cheese.

When it comes to wine, most people are talking out their ass. That movie "Sideways" put a giant dent in the merlot side of the wine industry and put the pinot noir side into orbit. Its the mark of consumers who don't know what they want and can't tell the difference between wines, ie. most people. I like Cabernet Sauvignon for 10 -20 000 a bottle, served at room temp.

[chotaerang]

Havarti is a good bet. If you want to keep it under 20 000 won, I'd also recommend Pepperjack cheese (Costo) and Carlos Rossi Burgundy. It's a jug wine but I love this stuff. If you're at Costo anyway, I'd also buy triscuit crackers. They're whole wheat, no trans fats and tasty. And also - don't serve swiss cheese. I still haven't found out why, but people here hate it. Best of luck.

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