The 2010 World Cup kicked is in full swing with the USA defying all the
odds and walking away with a tie with England. For the next three weeks,
millions of soccer aficionados will be glued to their televisions watching
their favorite team vie for world dominance. But soccer-watching doesn’t
automatically mean overdosing on bar food, drinking too much beer, and
shooting one too many tequila shots. I’m proposing a different approach to
cheering on your team: hosting a World Cup wine party.

Doing so will require a breakdown of the teams and the wines their
countries are known for. Here are a few suggestions for getting into the
World Cup spirit with an alternative to the traditional drinks of choice.

South Africa
Ranked 88 in the world behind such teams as Moldova and Panama, South
Africa are one of the outsiders to win the 2010 World Cup, with odds of
around 100-1 to actually win the whole tournament. However, with the World
Cup on home soil, and with the loud and colorful fans, who knows what can
happen.
 
The host country is in the spotlight and so should be its wines. I suggest
serving traditional dishes of bobotie (curried meat casserole) or bredie
(South African lamb stew). You can pair those dishes with The Pepper Pot
$13.99 which is a red blend of syrah/Mourvedre/Tannat that is a
medium-full bodied wine with deep red fruit and some peppery spice on the
finish. Another great wine on the dog-days of summer is the Steenberg
Sauvignon Blanc $8.99 which deliver dry crisp acidity with some nice
citrus.

French National Football Team
The French football team was once the perennial under-achievers on the
world stage, before their victory in the 1998 tournament. Last year they
played runner-up to Italy in the World Cup final.  French fans serving
Boudin Noir (blood Sausage) and Pomme Frites with their soccer game, may
want to try a couple of reds like Domaine Monpertuis Cotes du Rhone $15.99
or a Bordeaux from the legendary 2005 vintage like Chateau de Cazenove
$16.99. Of course a crisp refreshing white is always welcome on a hot day
so may I suggest Domaine De Villalin Quincy “Silex” (Sauvignon Blanc)
$24.99 from the Loire Valley.
 
United States Football Team
Despite the unpopularity of the sport in the United States, the national
team has been a regular in the World Cup finals, often negotiating tricky
World Cup Qualification Groups featuring stronger teams from Latin America
and Europe.

Whether you cheer for U.S. soccer or just want an excuse to throw a party,
hamburgers and hot dogs go great with red or white. Zin 91 from California
is a great old vine Zinfandel 2006 $14.99 with good depth of red fruit
that is tempered with some nice spiciness. For another red Rabbit Ridge
Allure de Robles is a great “Rhone Style” red from Paso Robles $8.99 that
is perfect for barbeques. One more wine to consider on the white-side of
wine is a refreshing Pinot Gris from Oregon like Emerson $17.99. See
recipe below for grilled seafood salad.

So if low-scoring games that seem to last forever that have the potential
of rewarding your cheering with a riveting tie sounds like fun then crack
that bottle of wine and get to drinking and eating with the country of
your favorite soccer team. If you have any questions, comments or insults
feel free to come down to my wine store Off the Vine Wines & Spirits in
Norwalk, CT or visit us on the web at www.offthevineonline.com. Of course
we will taste some of the wines that I have mentioned this weekend from
12pm-8pm Friday & Saturday.

The recipe below was taken from the blog of my good friends Chefs Matt
Scialabba and Melissa Pellegrino, authors of the recently published
cookbook, The Italian Farmer’s Table.  For more information about their
book and to check out their blog, please visit:
www.theitalianfarmerstable.com

Recipe: Grilled Seafood Salad
Ingredients
 • 1/2 lb. baby octopus
 • 1/4 cup olive oil
 • Kosher salt
 • 12 small shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact
 • 1 lb. mussels, scrubbed and debearded
 • 1 lemon, thinly sliced
 • 2 heads Belgian endive, sliced
 • 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into fine dice
 • 1 jalapeno pepper, fine dice
 • 1/4 cup parsley
 • Freshly ground black pepper
 • 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar

Instructions
Prepare a medium gas grill. Toss the octopus with a 1/2 Tbs. of olive
oil and season with a pinch of salt. Place on the grill and cook on both
sides until lightly charred, 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer to a clean
plate. Toss the shrimp in a 1/2 Tbs. of oil and season with a pinch of
salt. Grill on both sides until they have good grill marks and opaque, 3
to 4 minutes total. Transfer to a plate with the octopus. Raise the heat
to medium high, put the mussels on the grill and cook covered until the
shells pop open, the meat is plump, and the juices are boiling and
sizzling in the shell, 3 to 7 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the
octopus and discard any that don’t open. Grill the lemon slices until
just tender, about 1 minute per side. In a large bowl toss together the
endive, red pepper, jalapeno, parsley, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper.
Cut the octopus in half crosswise and add it to the bowl. Remove the
mussels from their shells and add to the bowl along with the shrimp. Add
the remaining 3 Tbs, olive oil and the red wine vinegar and toss to
combine. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Season to taste with
salt and pepper.