Cover your ears beer and whiskey drinkers, but some people just don’t dig on the amber tipples. If that applies to you but you’re still planning to celebrate St Patrick’s Day this weekend (it’s on Sunday the 17th but we reckon that just gives you the excuse to stretch it out from Friday!), we have an Irish drink we think you’ll like.
 

Unorthodox St Patrick’s Pick

From the wine house created by Kiwi winemakers and everyone’s favourite Irish celebrity interviewer, Graham Norton Prosecco is an Italian fizz with Irish attitude. Graham Norton’s Own Prosecco DOC Extra Dry is a sparkling Italian wine made with 100% glera grapes (the traditional fruit sourced from the home of prosecco), however the blending was done with involvement from Mr Norton himself. Watch the 2018 Graham Norton Wines blending session with “chief winemaker” Graham Norton, Invivo winemaker Rob Cameron and Invivo co-founder Tim Lightbourne, below.

Tasting Notes

Graham Norton’s Own Prosecco is an extra-dry fizz with a beautifully crisp finish. You’ll taste and smell notes of white flowers, citrus and stone fruit, with fine bubbles and a fresh finish making for an easy-sipping sparkling. RRP$19.99, 750ml at selected Liquorland stores
 

St Patrick’s Day Food Matches

If you’re looking to make a St Patrick’s Day celebration out of it, we recommend pairing Graham Norton’s Own Prosecco DOC Extra Dry with some traditional Irish foods. Unlike the usual beef and ale pie however, you’re going to want to keep things high end to match this baby. After all, what would Graham do? We recommend a serving of rock oysters, followed by some roasted chicken with colcannon (buttery mashed potatoes with herbs and shredded cabbage), and a bread and butter pudding or lemon curd sponge to conclude.
 

About The Brand

The Invivo Wines and Graham Norton partnership is now the stuff of legend. One day, two kiwi winemakers noticed Mr Norton and his guests drank a bit (and sometimes a lot – we’re talking to you Matt Damon and Bill Murray) of wine on his popular chat show, and gave him a cheeky call to ask if they could send him some of their wines. He agreed and after a very successful partnership, the pair approached the megastar and floated the idea of creating his own brand, Graham Norton Wines. After a modest start in 2014 with only 12,000 bottles, the brand has grown to produce more than three million bottles today, earning over 50 accolades including five gold medals. Some say it’s the luck of the Irish at work, we say it’s bloody good juice. Watch the story of Graham Norton wines in the hilarious video below.