By Kathy Matson • Tasting Room Manager, Galen Glen Winery
If someone asked you to match the month of March with an alcoholic beverage, what would you say? Many automatically think of beer, green beer to be specific. Why? Because of Saint Patrick’s Day. How did the green beer tradition get started? It is actually credited to a coroner’s physician, Dr. Curtin, who put a drop of “wash blue” die in his beer. Then, in the early 1900’s a New York social club began serving the green beer in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.
This March, challenge yourself to abandon your “traditional” drink and try something new. At the start of the month, Sunday, March third to be exact, there is another holiday that revolves around the consumption of alcohol. It’s National Mulled Wine Day. It’s the ideal time to celebrate as warm, spiced wine is the perfect drink to follow a day on the slopes or other winter activities. It’s a great way to unwind after a hard day at work or after shoveling snow too. Often called Glühwein, the recipe begins with red wine that is spiced with cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, nutmeg, allspice, citrus and sugar. The most important advice for anyone preparing mulled-wine is…do not boil! Do not overheat the wine as the alcohol will cook off and then what’s the point?
Maybe during March you still want a cold, crisp libation. Again, think outside of the beer. Have you ever tried Grüner Veltliner? Say, “Grooner.” The word Grüner translates to Green so it’s the perfect drink for celebrating in March. Not only that, Grüner is known for its flavors of grapefruit, lemons and limes and how well it pairs with all types of food. It is the most-widely planted grape varietal in Austria but in the past 15 years has gained popularity in the United States. In 2003, Galen Glen Winery in Andreas, pioneered planting Grüner and has the oldest vines east of the Rockies and second oldest planting in the United States.
The winery has been internationally recognized for their aromatic white wines, especially Grüner Veltliner. Recently, renowned wine critic, JamesSuckling.com stated the following about Galen Glen’s Grüner Veltliner, “Perhaps the best Grüner Veltliner made to date in the United States.”
Here is the challenge, what will you drink to celebrate in March? Whether it’s a warm mulled wine (Galen Glen will be serving and have specials on their spice wine the weekend of March 1-3) or a cold, crisp “green” beverage, you won’t be left out in the cold if beer is not your first choice. You can enjoy Galen Glen wines in the Jim Thorpe area at these fine establishments: The Marion Hose Bar, Moya, Macaluso’s and The Broadway Pub & Grille. The winery’s friendly staff welcomes you to visit their double-century farm to see the vines and enjoy the wine where it is grown. For more info: galenglen.com
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