Pair Up with La Sommelierre - March 2011
Luck of the Irish
Here is a menu for this year’s Irish holiday that is packed with flavor. It starts with a classic Irish beverage – beer – and continues with a California petite sirah, one of the biggest wines on the planet. Finally, end the evening with a nutty Irish whiskey.
Crack open an ice cold wheat beer to pair with your starter salad of arugula and spinach. Tossed with a tart sherry vinaigrette blended with pungent shallots, this is no wimpy salad. Counter the strong flavors of the dressing with cubes of red pears and aged cheddar cheese. The floral and citrus notes in the beer will echo the fruitiness of the pears and the nutty cheese will complement a similar character found in the beer.
Your entree beverage is made from the ‘black’ petite sirah grape that is now grown almost exclusively in California. However, the petite sirah pedigree is French in origin. An offspring of the Rhone varietal syrah, petite sirah usually makes a wine that has substantial alcohol and tannin levels. Both of these components make it a challenging wine to pair with food. Ground beef seasoned with plenty of salt will serve to tame the tannins. A little pepper and some fragrant allspice will complement the spicy flavors in the wine. The creamy potatoes and melted brie will further balance the full body of the petite sirah.
Finish the meal with a pot-distilled Irish whiskey. Clean nutty notes and flavors of honey, ginger and light molasses are the hallmarks of this beverage. The ginger and spice notes of the whiskey will soar with the caramelized fruit flavors in Pears Charlotte with Chamomile Crème Anglaise.
So, go on. Pair Up!
Find recipes online at www.lasommelierre.com
