Wine and Corned Beef? Why not!

 

Saint Patrick's Day has become a widely celebrated event. Falling each year on March 17, what started as a religious holiday has turned into a modern-day festival honoring Irish culture. You don't even have to be Irish to celebrate. Pubs and restaurants all over the country offer specials on Irish food and drink.

 

It's true that Ireland has a reputation as a beer-loving country, but this year it's time to try something new. So set down the Guinness and green beer. Missouri wine wants in on the fun. Try pairing wine with some of these traditional Irish recipes - either at home or while out celebrating. You just might start a new tradition of your own.

 

Corned beef and cabbage is a dish central to many St. Patrick's Day celebrations. If you'll be serving it up, pair it with a full-bodied white wine, like Chardonel or a crisp Seyval to complement the heft and saltiness of the slow-cooked beef and vegetables.

        

Another St. Patrick's Day option is fish and chips, a combination that is traditionally prepared using cod and is found on the menu of many pubs year-round. For the more intermediate chef, try making it at home with this recipe. A dry, light wine goes great with this dish and will help cut through the grease. Try a bottle of Missouri bubbles or the dry, full-bodied white wine, Vidal.

 

And let's not forget about potatoes. The tuber is often included in Irish dishes or appears as a side. Coddle is a fixed Irish tradition and is made by layering slices of pork sausage, bacon, potatoes, and onions. A medium-bodied Chambourcin or Seyval complements this heavy plate of food.

   

Bangers and Mash is another Irish staple. The "bangers" are traditionally made of pork, but any type of sausage could work (even veggie sausage). The "mash," or mashed potatoes, are often served with rich gravy. Try a full-bodied Norton or a medium-bodied Chambourcin with this dish. The rich red wines will pair nicely with the filling dish.

  

Be sure to check out the Missouri Wine website for other great ideas on food and wine pairings. And whatever your plans may be this St. Patty's Day remember this Irish blessing: "May your troubles be less, your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door!"

 

Wurstfest 2011

 

Start shopping for your Braunschwieger Ball gown, and saddle up your dachshund for the Weiner Dog Derby. 

 

It's Wurstfest time again.

        

In the historic Missouri river town of Hermann, bratwurst, leberwurst, schwartenmagen, sommer sausage, and other wursts will be served up and celebrated in earnest, March 26 and 27.

 

For the 32^nd year running, all of Hermann - from shops, galleries, and restaurants to the Deutschheim State Historic Site -­ will be sizzling with Wurstfest fever.

 

The Pavilion at Stone Hill Winery and the Hermann Festhalle will serve as key locations for festival events, including German music and dancing, sausage-making contests, and the "whole hog sausage breakfast."  

 

Look for wine tasting and tours at Hermann wineries. Read the story of Hermann's wine heritage.

The Sweetest Ending to Cold & Ice:

Missouri Late Harvest Wines

 

There could not be a more fitting way to toast the end of bitter winter weather than with a glass of dessert-sweet ice wine.

 

Late harvest wines are a treat, no matter what time of year. But exactly what makes them so special?

 

The grapes for most table wines are harvested before the frost. However, the grapes for late harvest or ice wines are left on the vine for weeks following the harvest, continuing to ripen and increase in sugar content.

 

For vineyards, ensuring that these grapes are harvested at precisely the right point is a risky and labor-intensive process, involving tedious monitoring and hand picking. These factors, in addition to the dehydration of the grapes, result in a lower yield, which generally translates into limited quantities of these precious wines.

 

Several Missouri wineries produce late harvest and ice wines. The following are a few examples of wineries offering a sweet way to welcome spring.  

 

At St. James Winery, the grapes for the Late Harvest Vignoles and Late Harvest Chardonel are ripened in the vineyards for up to three weeks after Vintners Select Vignoles grapes are picked. The result is a raisin-like grape with intense tropical fruit characteristics and hints of honey and botrytis.  

 

Cooper's Oak Winery has a Vidal Iceberg Icewine and a Cabernet Franc Icewine, with a long, smooth, strawberries-and-cream flavored finish.   

 

You'll find a Chardonel Late Harvest featuring intense flavors of ripe fruits, dried apricots, figs, and raisins -- and a rich texture and well-balanced structure that ends with a hint of vanilla and honey -- at Crown Valley Winery.

 

Augusta Winery Icewine is described as having highly concentrated flavors and a bouquet of peach, apricot, pineapple, pear, and honey. The Limited Edition 2009 Estate-Bottled Icewine, with more residual sugar, was aged in French oak barrels to add richness and complexity.

 

Fusion Wines, crafted from the quality grapes grown at Schubert Vineyards, has just produced its first Late Harvest Chambourcin, which will be released this year.  The ripeness and maturity of these grapes were noted as astounding.

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