My dad is from Galway, Ireland. The home in which he was born is older than the United States. I was a teenager when I first heard this extraordinary fact, and it sunk in with meaningful density. I was awestruck.

Thanks to technology, we are connected to friends and family around the globe in ways never before possible. But there is a web that existed long before the worldwide one – the genealogical link between our ancestors and us. St. Patrick’s Day, like all cultural holidays, is an opportunity to embrace the link and to share the joys of my heritage with my children and friends. When I eat traditional Irish foods, I enjoy the immediacy of the flavors but also receive deeper nourishment from the knowledge that they have been prepared by generations before me.

Serving corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick ’s Day may be a foregone conclusion here in the U.S., but it isn’t a traditional Irish meal. Instead, roast chicken or boiling bacon (Irish-style bacon made from the pork shoulder and similar to ham) are common meals for the day.

Here I'm sharing two recipes are traditionally Irish and would be welcome at any St. Patrick’s Day feast.

March is pruining season in the vineyard. The vines have been resting through the cold of January and February. Now, we tend to them by removing dead leaves and vines in preparation for spring buds.

Looking for authentic Irish recipes?

Get my mom's soda bread and our family's colcannon recipes...

This isn't a Wine + Word event, but if you're looking for a fun way to kick off St. Patrick's Day, join the Teac Mor Virtual Happy Hour!

email: events@teacmor.com

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with corned beef may be more Irish-American than a specialty traditionally served in Ireland, but I’m not complaining. I like everything about corned beef.

Guinness is clearly a festive front-runner for a pairing, but wine works well, too. 

I have three recommendation for how you might fill your wine glasses this St. Patrick’s day

Rosé goes perfectly with all the fatty deliciousness of the meal – a chilled glass of fruity pink rosé bursting with strawberry flavor will brighten everything on the plate. Try a Malbec Rosé from Argentina. 

My family makes wine that not only is appropriate because of our Irish-roots (we really do farm in practices used family in Ireland for generations) but because our unoaked Chardonnay and Pinot are true hero wines when it comes to the hearty meal. 

Our wines are available locally at Draeger's Los Altos, Ava's Market in Mountain View, and online.