Wine & St. Patricks Day??...Absolutely!

Hard to believe but we are just a few short days away from the holiday that most associate with beer...St. Patrick's Day. Now, while the editors of Grape Beginnings are on a mission to develop a relaxed community network of wine enthusiasts, we certainly have enjoyed a pint or two in our day. There's no question that many of the foods which are typically enjoyed on St. Patrick's day, pair fairly well with a rich stout or a vibrant pale ale. Let's face it...Guinness and "any food Irish" is a wonderful match.

Oddly enough, when we looked at some of the traditional Irish fare, there a number of recipes and foods which would pair well with your favorite Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet, Syrah or Pinot Noir. The editors of "Food and Wine" create a wonderful Irish feast in this week's featured recipes. Here's the link for a wonderful Lamb Stew...and a perfect wine pairing follows the recipe link...enjoy!

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/lamb-stew-with-swiss-chard-and-garlic-parsley-toasts

Côtes-du-Rhône & Lamb Stew
A RHÔNE MATCH

Big-flavored wines pair best with big-flavored foods because each can hold its own against the other. Case in point: the strong but well-balanced 2001 Côtes-du-Rhône Saint-Esprit Rouge from the Rhône Valley's Delas Frères, made primarily with Syrah, and a robust but surprisingly lean lamb shank and Swiss chard stew.

Winery

DELAS FRÈRES

The venerable Rhône Valley firm Delas Frères has been in business for more than 160 years, but as far as most wine lovers are concerned, the key year was 1997. That's when the supremely talented Jacques Grange took control. For most of the previous generation, Delas had vineyards and a fine old name but no capital or direction. Since Grange's appointment, he has supervised the construction of a new winery and improved vineyard management. His reforms have resulted in generous, full-flavored wines like the 2001 Côtes-du-Rhône Saint-Esprit Rouge ($13), made from grapes grown on steep, granite hillsides in the southern Rhône. "Our Côtes-du-Rhône Saint-Esprit has very good balance," Grange says. And unlike many Côtes-du-Rhône reds, which are made mostly from the Grenache grape, this wine is mainly Syrah. "It's a perfect complement to lamb stew," says Grange. "It's strong but not overpowering."

—Richard Nalley

This article originally appeared in January, 2005.


Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Cheers,

Crixenauf

Food & Wine Reports On 67 Affordable Wines

67 Best American Wines

After tasting more than 300 affordable American wines, Senior Editor Ray Isle reports on his most exciting finds, from Chardonnay to Zinfandel— to buy by the case for everyday drinking or casual entertaining.
Additional research by Megan Krigbaum
By Ray Isle

Check out this great article on great tasting/affordable wines...each under $15!!

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/sixty-seven-best-american-wines

Salute'!!

Crixenauf

Nielsen: Celebrity Names Boosting Wine Sales

Celebrity-driven alcohol beverage products - those branded with the name of, or directly associated with a famous individual - are gaining popularity in the U.S. and wine is emerging as the star of the show, according to The Nielsen Company.

Norman's love affair with wine began in 1976 on his first trip to California.
Gaining marketing leverage from celebrities as diverse as professional golfer Greg Norman, film director Francis Ford Coppola, former NFL coach Mike Ditka and recent releases from Martha Stewart and Paul Newman, celebrity wines are on the rise. Celebrity wines are up nearly 19 percent in grocery store sales since last year and represent 0.9 percent ($41.8 million) of total wine sales. Celebrity spirits sales show the same growth rate (19 percent) in grocery stores and represent 0.3 percent ($7.5 million) of the total spirits category. In liquor stores, celebrity spirits are growing at an even faster rate, showing a nearly 21 percent increase since last year, compared to celebrity wines' liquor store growth rate of 8 percent.
"Celebrities are increasingly lending their names to wine and spirits, for a variety of reasons," said Richard Hurst, senior vice president, Beverage Alcohol, The Nielsen Company. "While some celebrities have had a long-standing personal affinity for these product categories, others view these products as extensions of their established 'lifestyle brands' and have connected with willing supplier partners to produce and market them. Some suppliers, particularly wine suppliers, do not have the resources to launch big advertising and promotional campaigns and a celebrity can lend a brand instant recognition. Ideally, the celebrity's reputation also helps reinforce the company's image in the marketplace."