Elevate St. Patrick’s Day: Pairing Corned Beef with Wine

As St. Patrick's Day approaches, many of us find ourselves craving that quintessential Irish dish: corned beef and cabbage! But what should we enjoy alongside this tradition many of us enjoy each year? Here are my top suggestions.

This is a hearty meal that usually calls for beer (Guinness, anyone?). But if you’re in the mood for wine, Riesling is going to be your best friend here!

The Dish: Corned Beef & Cabbage

Before getting into the pairing, let’s look at the flavors of corned beef to understand what we’re dealing with. Typically boiled, corned beef isn’t necessarily an intense dish—however, the meat itself is heavy and flavored with spices like black peppercorn and mustard seed. The brine makes it salty and the accompanying vegetables like cabbage, carrots and potatoes add to a slightly sweet, hearty feeling.

Wine to Pair with Corned Beef: Riesling!

Since we’re dealing with a fairly mild, slightly sweet and salty dish here, Riesling is will be the winning match! Even if you don’t think you like Riesling, trust me on this one!

The best Riesling to pair with Corned Beef will be an off-dry (just a hint of residual sugar in the wine) because the sweetness of the wine will match the sweetness coming from the boiled vegetables.

An off-dry Riesling will also liven up this otherwise fairly bland (am I being too mean here) dish thanks to its high acidity and bright stone fruit profile.

You know what they say…when in doubt, pair your dish with Riesling! Its always a winner!

Qualities of off-dry Riesling that makes it work with Corned Beef:

high acidity: adds brightness to this otherwise earthy, hearty dish
touch of sweetness: matches the sweetness of the vegetables, livens up the dish
light-bodied: won’t overwhelm this fairly mild dish

Dani’s Go-To Rieslings (off-dry):

Dr. Loosen Blue Slate Kabinett from Mosel, Germany (pictured here)
SA Prumm Kabinett from Mosel, Germany
Other “Kabinett” Rieslings from Germany
Eroica Riesling from Columbia Valley, Washington

Other wines that will pair with Corned Beef:

I really suggest sticking with a Riesling for this pairing as most other red or white wines will pair with this dish. But if you must open up something else, a light, fruity Zinfandel or Pinot Noir may work. But to be honest here, I would either reach for a Riesling or a beer—any Irish beer style, Brown Ale, Porter, Stout or Pilsner-type will complement perfectly.

Happy Pairing!

Cheers, Dani