Saint Patrick’s Day is almost here, and this year, we want to help you celebrate in style! Here’s a look at ten of our favorite traditional Irish recipes, perfectly paired with ONEHOPE wine. Because #winenot?
The Meal: An Irish Cheeseboard
The Wine: Carneros Reserve Chardonnay
The Cause: Help End Childhood Bullying
Why it Works: Build a cheeseboard full of cheeses that are specific too, or done best in, Ireland! Rule of thumb is that your board should have at least one hard, one soft, one blue, and one specialty cheese. Since Irish cheeses are strong by nature, Chardonnay is versatile enough to support the full range of the cheeseboard.
The Meal: Corned Beef & Cabbage
The Wine: California Merlot
The Cause: Help Provide Medicine for Kids
Why it Works: The fruity tones of Merlot will highlight the cabbage, while also playing to the fat in your beef. With a lower tannin count than the bolder Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot balances both components of this dish without overpowering them.
The Meal: Smoked Salmon & Soda Bread
The Wine: Rutherford Estate Sauvignon Blanc
The Cause: Help Give Healthcare
Why it Works: Gooseberry plays a key role here. New world Sauvignons are best, so long as they avoid heavy influences from grass or herb. Together, the fruity flavors will bring out the salmon without overpowering the soda bread.
The Meal: Beef Pie
The Wine: Argentina Uco Valley Malbec
The Cause: Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease
Why it Works: The wine is robust enough to capture the fat and savory flavors in your beef without overpowering them. The gravy of this dish, which is often made from Guinness, can be thick and heavy, meaning that a weaker wine will be lost, and a heavier wine will be too much. Malbec is the perfect middle ground.
The Meal: Roast Rib with Horseradish
The Wine: Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon
The Cause: Help Give Healthcare
Why it Works: With such dominant flavors in your dish, it will be easy for the flavors of your wine to be lost in the mix. To pull off this robust meal, you need the biggest, boldest red you can find. Cabernet Sauvignon fits the bill.
The Meal: Chocolate Stout Cupcake
The Wine: Edna Valley Reserve Pinot Noir
The Cause: Help Prevent Heart Disease
Why it Works: Pinot Noir is the softest of the reds, making it a great balance for a chocolate cupcake. The delicate fruits of the Pinot Noir will highlight the chocolate without becoming too sweet of a combination. The tannins will balance the bitter stout in the cupcake.
The Meal: Corned Beef & Cabbage Pizza
The Wine: Delle Venezie IGT Pinot Grigio
The Cause: Help Fund Pet Adoptions
Why it Works: Pizza has a lot going on, flavor-wise. Pinot Grigio, with its grassy tones, is the perfect way to complement the beef on your pizza, without losing the influence of the cabbage. It also plays nicely with a tomato sauce, bringing it all together.
The Meal: Rum Raisin Pudding
The Wine: 29 Twelve California Dessert Wine
The Cause: Help Prevent Prostate Cancer
Why it Works: This is an intense pudding. The flavor profile is strong, and that makes it difficult to pair. Luckily, the general rule of dessert wines (pair with something less sweet than the wine) means that this dessert is a great candidate for dessert wines. Sip slowly, and enjoy all that decadence.
The Meal: Watercress Soup with Whisky Crème
The Wine: North Coast Reserve Sparkling Brut
The Cause: Ending Childhood Hunger
Why it Works: This is a “green” soup, and it can often carry some bitterness. That’s where a pop of carbonation can do wonders. The bitterness of the soup will highlight the sugars in your wine, making for a nice balance.
The Meal: Irish Potato Cakes
The Wine: California Celebration Brut
The Cause: Ending Childhood Hunger
Why it Works: The bubbles will cut through the fat from the fry cooking, without overpowering the subtle flavors of a potato. The acidity is well balanced for the potato as well.
If you’re not afraid to go a little over the top, why not drop a little green food coloring into your wine before you serve it? Of course, this will only work if you choose a white wine, but could be a fun, simple way to feel festive!
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