St. Patrick's Wines

March 10, 2008



By Kathy Stephenson

Monday is St. Patrick's Day, and that means corned beef and cabbage for dinner. The meal is more an American invention than an Irish tradition, but many still look forward to this unique meal.

The truly Irish will complement dinner with a dark Irish stout, such as Guinness. But selecting wine may require a bit of Irish luck, says Brett Clifford, the premium wine buyer for the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

"Salt from the corned beef and the wine don't mix well," he said. And eating "skunky" cabbage with wine that has a strong sulfur taste "will make both taste terrible."

Dark, nutty beers like Guinness are really the best option, Clifford insists. Fortunately, there are experts who aren't as skeptical.

A pinot blanc or sauvignon blanc should work for those who like whites, author Natalie MacLean writes on her user-friendly food and wine matcher: www.natalie maclean.com/matcher.

For those who prefer a red wine, MacLean suggests a Bordeaux or a New World cabernet sauvignon.

If you can't justify buying an expensive bottle of red for a meal that the Irish consider peasant food, chianti may work better. Food-friendly Spanish wines may also be a good choice, said Sheral Showe, owner of Wasatch Academy of Wines and a long-time Utah wine educator. She likes the bright and acidic Morgadio Albariño Rias Baixas.

And if all else fails, buy a sparkling wine, said Showe. "It goes with everything on the planet."




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