Saint Patrick’s Day – Corned Beef, Grenache, Jameson and Friendships – A Personal Tradition Continues
A wonderful Instant Pot Corned Beef with mustard and peppercorn spices for St Patrick’s Day dinner. Cooked in Guinness beer and with a side horseradish deli mustard. Thanks Susan!! Paired with one of the best Grenache wines from Napa (Zuidema Wine yours is the other one) from Outpost Winery on Howell Mountain. Outpost winery is well known for the Cabernet Sauvignons made by Thomas Rivers Brown with scores of 95-100 points. A whole cluster soak produces one of the tanginess and spicy Grenache’s ever, which paired extraordinarily well with the corned beef. A great St Patrick’s Day treat all around.
A 38 year old tradition continues despite the quarantine request by the Governor and President. I have had three half shots of Jameson Whiskey on St Patrick’s Day every year, usually at a restaurant or drinking establishment. The first toast is to my grandfather Lewis Kelly who always had a shot on St Patrick’s Day. My father used to take him to a local bar despite the protestations of my grandmother! 39 years ago my father passed, so I took my grandfather out for a shot of Jameson. It only happened once, as subsequently later that year at 89 he too passed. I had a very good friend Tom Mollard an industry mentor and every year since we met for 37 years having 3 half shots of Jameson. During this time we told a tale or two of the those we were toasting. The first shot was for my grandfather, the second shot was for my father (and subsequently Tom’s wife Ann who passed) and third was for good health and life for those we were drinking with on St Patrick’s Day-Slainte. No surprise, there was always lots of others around us who joined in!! Besides telling some stories of those we toasted, many Irish toasts were given.
Tom Mollard passed 6 or so years ago. So today the second toast is to the key and influential people in my life who have passed: Dr John Rhodenbaugh (golfing buddy, former NCGA President, mentor), Tom Mollard (a great friend in the high tech industry, mentor), Margaret Houghton (one of our adapted grandmothers, former member of Castlewood CC), Richard Becker (the greatest father in law one could have!) and Deidre Comerton (a Saint in Dublin Ireland, mother of my good friend David Comerton) and continuing with my father, William Lewis Kelly. The third continues to be with those we are with this evening. Being quarantined, it was Susan and I, but with the power of video chatting, we toasted with one daughter and son in law. 38 years of tradition continues with toasting and speaking about great friends and relatives, despite being quarantined.
Slainte,
Michael
California Wines & Wineries 