Perfect Wines for Watching 5 Popular Winter Olympic Events
Olympics season is coming around yet again with the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, and let’s be honest – there’s little better than relaxing on the couch at home watching the most elite athletes on earth give it their all.
In celebration of this international event, we suggest toasting a glass or two of local Michigan wine while watching your favorite events. We have the perfect wine pairings for five popular winter Olympics events – just what you need to cozy up with your favorite people to cheer on the U.S. athletes!
Cross-Country Skiing & Woods Sweet Red
Olympic Cross-Country Skiing may seem at the surface to be all about speed, but the heart of the sport is about getting outside and spending time in the woods during the depths of winter. So what better wine to pair with this sport than our Woods Sweet Red, a sweet red blend made in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Bobsled & Ship of Fools
Ship of Fools was named for the fact that a ship’s journey will end in disaster if its myriad characters fail to meld as a crew. Ship of Fools combines an unconventional blend revealing a new flavor profile for a dry white, an unexpected but successful band of rogues. As with a ship’s crew, a bobsled team will fail should they not work together seamlessly while speeding at 100mph down the icy track.
Figure Skating & Late Harvest Riesling
Figure skating looks delicate and graceful from a distance. While it surely is both of those things, the amount of fearlessness required to compete at a high level means figure skating is not for the faint of heart. Our Late Harvest Riesling offers crisp citrus flavors and a naturally sweet finish. Before the wine reaches your glass, winemakers do proverbial backflips deciding on the perfect moment to harvest the grapes and bring this wine to life. Both figure skating and this wine require nerve and the perfect balance of grace and practiced experience.
Curling & Pinot Grigio
When most people think of curling, they think of two things – ice and stones. Players take turns sliding heavy granite stones down the sheet of ice with immense precision in this unique sport that always seems to be a wonder of the Winter Olympics. What better wine to pair with curling than one offering a balanced mineral quality like our Pinot Grigio.
Biathlon & a Wine and Cheese Pairing
Biathlon might not be one of the most popular Winter Olympic events, but it’s definitely one of the most interesting. With a history in Scandinavian mythology and Norwegian military training, participants cross-country ski while carrying a rifle and stopping to shoot targets placed throughout the race. As a nod to the coupling of sports in the Biathlon, we suggest a wine and cheese pairing to enjoy during this event. Try pairing our Grü Vin with some raclette.
Watching another one of the Olympic events? Pour yourself a glass of one of our medal finishing wines for the perfect pairing. The following wines just won big at the 2018 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition: 2013 Cabernet Franc, 2016 Grüner Veltliner, 2016 Pinot Noir Vin Gris, 2016 Block Twelve Riesling, and 2016 Whole Cluster Riesling. We hope you enjoy the 2018 Winter Olympics, wine pairings in hand!