Wine Pairings to Celebrate St Patrick’s Day
There’s something for every Irish reveller here.
By Erin Henderson
My mother has a friend who’s seriously Irish.
Evelyn emigrated from Ireland to Canada decades ago, long before I was born. If my math is correct, she has been Canadian longer than she’s been Irish, but has held firm to her roots. When she travels – no matter to Italy, Jamaica, or Shanghai – she always manages to find an Irish pub and nestle in amongst her countrymen and women.
I’ve found that Canadians with Irish ancestry, even if those ancestors last set foot upon the Emerald Isle four generations ago, are fiercely dedicated to the family tree. My best friend in high school was born here, but had a mother from County Cork and a father from Hungary. Never once did my friend ever mention a thing about her father’s homeland but would constantly (and somewhat annoyingly) use the word “aye” when agreeing with me. She also said “half-seven” instead of seven-thirty, but that’s a gripe for another day. And still another friend, Jackie, who was my co-worker back in my radio journalism days, borrowed her parents’ accent as her own, unless she was talking on-air, of course, and referred to the elevator as a lift.
Knowing these jolly green characters, it’s no surprise St Patrick’s Day is an absolute party in Canada. More so, I’m told, than it actually is in Ireland, where historically the celebration of the saint was more of a somber, religious observance, marked with church visits and quiet family lunches, though these days, especially in popular tourist destinations like Dublin, the parades and fanfare is just as boisterous.
Depending on how much party you’ve got in you, you may prefer honouring St Pat with the traditional gathering of a civilized family brunch or feel a raucous knees-up more appropriate for the occasion. No matter which party is for you, we have a wine to go with that.
Full Irish Breakfast + Gamay
A steaming plate of runny eggs, bacon, blood sausage and tomato may be more helpful the morning after the festivities, but should you greet the day of the saint with a meal fit enough for a king, wash it down with a fruity, low tannin red. We here at TWS like to pair wines the way we do a sauce, and generally people will use ketchup (aka “red sauce”) or a steak sauce (aka “brown sauce”) to douse the hearty breakfast. Both these sauces are sweet and sour, and the wine mimics these notes with sweet fruit and bright acidity.
Smoked Salmon and Scone Brunch + Rosé Sparkling Wine
Ireland, of course, is known for top-notch fish and seafood, and what’s more appropriate for a civilized brunch that smoked salmon paired to freshly made scones or potato pancakes? The palate cleansing bubbles and nervy acidity of the wine helps mop up some of that rich fat of the fish, while the fruity nature of the fizz compliments the pastry.
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Post hike family lunch of Irish Lamb Stew, Colcannon & Soda Bread + Syrah
Ireland has spectacular hiking trails to view its wild terrain, and none are more impressive than St Patrick’s original walk to the summit of Ireland’s Holy Mountain, Croagh Patrick, which attracts 100-thousand visitors each year. Maybe that’s a tad aggressive for your March 17 traditions, but you can still pay homage with a walk in your local woods followed by a nourishing lunch of Irish favourites. Syrah, with its flavours of black pepper spice, smoky bacon and woodland berries compliments the rustic nature of the lamb, while the meat’s bold protein and fat, help smooth the wine’s firm tannin.
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Irish cinq et sept: Oysters + Chablis
The Galway Oyster Festival is the premier event for celebrating Irish oysters, but we don’t want to mix festivities, now do we? Before heading out for a night at the pub, get the party started with simple and delicious oysters (bonus points if you can source Ireland’s famed Carlingford, Flaggy Shore, or DK) and a wee tipple of wine. Chablis, which is the northern Burgundian region famed for its ancient-seabed soils, makes unoaked Chardonnay that’s utterly world class with briny mollusks.
Pub Night: Fish and Chips and All Things Fried + Brut Champagne
Look, this is a party is it not? And what wine evokes a celebration better than bubbly? Not to mention dry champers is a knock-out with anything fried thanks to the wine’s acidic bite cutting through the grease of the fried things. You don’t have to stick to fish a chips, either. Battered vegetables, boxty topped with sour cream and smoked salmon, and even creamy seafood chowder all get a boost from lemony, bright sparkling wine.
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