Green Wine
Wine to have with your Corned Beef
This time of year we start preparing for fun by planning our celebrations Day St. Patrick. The color green is everywhere, our clothes, our rivers and our beers. Ireland is famous for its beer and its pair cooks well with this drink. More than one cook add beer to their big pot to boil their dinner corned beef. When this is done, or carrying a large beer is a wonderful match.
But what about the wine traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner, Irish? I asked an Irish servant girl if she was interested and she gave me the green light to arrive at a wine pairing for this meal. The combination of boiled meat, pickling spices and cabbage is a challenge indeed. I started this topic with wine lovers around fellow vintners and vendors distributor Wine to try to reach a consensus. Here's what we concluded.
Meal
For centuries, to hang a pot in the fireplace was a common way for Europeans to cook their dinners. Examples of these include meals cooked Italian bollito misto and the pot French-au-feu. Thus, corned beef and cabbage has deep roots in European culture.
Salt beef and cabbage has a wine pairing dilemma such as vinegar and a variety of spices can be used in boiling corned beef. These could include spices, salt, cloves of garlic, pepper, bay leaves, mustard seeds, ground ginger, juniper berries, allspice, cloves and sticks cinnamon. Close to serve the meal, the cabbage is added to the dish of boiling, which introduces more difficult flavors of this wine pairing.
The Accompanying wine Solution
In the evaluation of this dish, it was agreed by my wine buddies that there are three main issues to address, the salinity of the corned beef, the fatty nature of the cut of meat and earthy cabbage. It is generally accepted that some sweetness is necessary to counter the level of salt and some acid would reduce the fat in the meat.
For white wine lovers, this Riesling is like, because it generally offers a smooth and high levels of acidity. However, it is feared that many Rieslings can be too sweet and acid. When we discussed the different spices used in this boiling, Gewürztraminer came to mind because it has hints of clove in the mouth. Gewürztraminer also offers a bit of sweetness and acidity, making it a better choice. I then discussed This association with a difficult seller of wine has grown in Alsace, France. He mentioned that the French drink Pinot Gris with sauerkraut and thought it would be very appreciated cabbage. Pinot Gris is also a bit of sweetness and acidity, so it's also an interesting choice.
It was agreed by all that red wine has been called into question over pair with this dish. A wine with a high level of tannins (found in wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon) has not been considered a good match. Although Pinot Black has good fruit and acidity levels, we agreed that many Pinot Noirs, perhaps too delicate for this dish rich. We were divided on Zinfandels (lots of fruits and levels of sweetness, but little or no acid). At the end, we concluded that both French Cote du Rhone and Beaujolais would pair well, that offers both good fruit sweetness and some acidity. They also a reasonable price, which is appropriate to pair with this dish peasant.
For something really weird, why not offer your friends and your family of "green" wine to enjoy with their dinner Irish this year. Portugal Vinho Verde, which literally means green wine. As these grapes are harvested early, they are not mature, but a little "green". These white wines are lightly effervescent, easy to drink and inexpensive, making the choice of pleasure.
Bill's Picks (with suggested retail)
Aveleda 2008 Vinho Verde Cast – 84 pts. Wine Spectator (a fruity white fishing and flavors of green apple) – $ 8.00
Gewurztraminer 2008 Gunther Schlink – Not yet rated (A pleasant white pear, Granny Smith apple, baking spice notes with a medium acidity-high) – $ 14.00
2007 Gustave Lorentz Alsace Pinot Gris – 85 pts. Wine Spectator (white and clean with a tangy acidity and hints of lemon curd) – $ 18.00
Perrin Reserve 2007 Cote du Rhone 87-88 pts. Robert Parker (lovely blackberry and cherry, is med. Bodied and silky-textured red wine) – $ 10.00
Marcel Lapierre Morgon 2007 Beaujolais-89 pts. Robert Parker (this finishes with red fruit and subtle clear of red meat and herbal notes teeth) – $ 19.00
Wine of the Month
A to Z 2008 Pinot Gris
Retail Price $ 12
For your St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage dinner, I choose a wine that goes well and is reasonably price. Robert Parker gave this wine 87 pts. and says … A to Z Pinot Gris 2008 offers lots of fruit and flavorings Melon scented pit followed by a vibrant, tasty, half-dry wine. This wine has notes of attractive fruit, good acidity and some sweetness, which should pair well with this dish in Ireland.
About the Author
Bill Garlough is a Level 1 Master Sommelier and an owner of My Chef Catering in Naperville, IL, the winner of the U.S. Chamber’s 2007 Small Business of the Year award. Bill can be reached at My Chef or bgarlough@mychef.com
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