St. Patrick's Day Wine Pairing

Written by  Maureen Bayer, CS, CSW, CWP

Coming from an Irish family, St. Patrick’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. Everyone seems to think this is the beer and whiskey type of holiday day for obvious reasons. However, Irish meals- especially this one- pair perfectly with wine! In fact, I enjoyed my first glass of wine while living abroad in Ireland, although, I was certainly more into Bulmers (Magners) hard cider!

Corned Beef and Cabbage

This meal is really more of an Irish-American tradition. Trust me I know, I’ve been eating it every year of my life! Although, cabbage is an Irish staple, it is paired more often with pork. When Irish-Americans were unable to get pork due to its unavailability, they substituted the salty beef that we know as corned beef. 

Now onto the important stuff… the wine pairing. Even though this meal seems hearty with beef, potatoes, and carrots it is generally boiled changing how powerful the flavors are, making them lighter. This is why we suggest pairing with Biggio Hamina Pinot Noir from Eola-Amity Hills AVA, Oregon. This wine is hearty enough to stand up next to the salty boiled meat and earthy enough to not overwhelm the boiled cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. 

Fish ‘n Chips

For those that don’t know Fish ‘n Chips is basically deep fried fish (generally haddock or cod) with French fries (the thick steak kind). This dish is one that pairs well with some beers - if that is your drink of choice. However, we are here to talk about wine. The Fox Run Semi-Dry Riesling from right here in the Finger Lakes would be an ideal wine pairing. The citrus notes pair well with the lemon that is suggested that your squeeze over your fish, while the acidity is high enough to cut through the fat of the fried breading. The slight sweetness to the wine will also match that of the malt vinegar you are dipping your chips into!

Dessert

To compliment this Irish feast I would recommend trying your hand at baking with some Guinness cupcakes, topped with Baileys butter cream frosting and a glass of Jameson on the side!

All wines and spirits are available for purchase at Pittsford Wine and Spirits.

Via Girasole Wine Bar Gives Back!

                 Since only having been open since the beginning of August 2015, Via Girasole Wine Bar has already hosted many events to support great causes in their quant but elegant space. Via Girasole Wine Bar offers their space to local charities like Guilda’s Club, McQuaid Jesuit High School and now the March Of Dimes for a fundraising event. 
                 On February 23^rd between 6 PM - 8 PM they will be hosting the first “Wine Therapy Night for a Cause.” Wine Therapy Night for a Cause is an event that will be held each month and it will support different charities. This month’s cause for support is March of Dimes. March of Dimes was originally started by President Franklin Roosevelt as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis; this was developed for vaccine research and aid to those with polio. Following the success of the polio vaccine, March of Dimes changed its focus to preventing birth defects and infant mortality, it works to raise awareness and research the cause of premature births. 
                 By visiting Via Girasole Wine Bar on February 23^rd you can help support mothers, babies, and their families in need. More than 30% of each ticket sold to this event will go to March of Dimes from Via Girasole Wine Bar. There will also be handmade jewelry and gifts for sale at the event, which will also give proceeds towards the March of Dimes. Via Girasole Wine Bar is proud to support this great cause! To purchase tickets and/or for more information visit http://www.viagirasole.com or call Via Girasole Wine Bar at (585) 641-0340.