A lot of us are well-versed on the type of food that we want to serve over Easter weekend as well as the perfect time to bring out different dishes. From fish fingers on Good Friday, to roast beef and lamb on Easter Sunday and a whole lot of treats and chocolate in between! Simple traditions like this are followed every year.
When it comes to pairing these dishes with a good bottle of wine, it’s not as simple as red or white. Not everyone knows where to start. This Easter weekend, we’re looking out for you (and your guests). To help ease that Easter wine anxiety, we searched out the best bottles to grace your table.
Pairing with a Lamb Palate
Best Options: Mouton Cadet Bordeaux, Clearwater Pinot Noir, Hesketh Shiraz
What we are going for: A medium to full body blend, with some tannins and acidity. Pair the spicy preparations with spicy reds and lighter flavors with lighter reds.
Whether there’s a juicy leg of lamb on your Easter Sunday table, you can’t go wrong with a bottle of red wine. A lot of wine lovers agree that lamb and Bordeaux is the most ideal pairing, a true love story, however, you should not be afraid to spice things up and try something new. To enhance your lamb dish and really savor the moment, pair it with a full-bodied, fruit-forward wine with ample tannins, like the Hesketh Shiraz or the Clearwater Pinot Noir.
If you would prefer a white wine over the red wine, we’d suggest that you try the creamy white bottles that we have in stock. Both the Zevenwacht Chenin Blanc or the Tilia Chardonnay are an excellent option. If your lamb has been put together with a spicy or Indian twist, we’d suggest the Simonsig Gewurztraminer.
Pairing with a Ham Palate
Best Options: Asconi Pastoral, Torres Altos Ibéricos Crianza, Canon 13 Pinot Noir.
What we are going for: Subtle acidity, light to medium body, fresh and fruity flavors, less tannins for red wine.
If your heart throbs for some red wine, there are some exciting bottles that go really well with ham. You would not like to sip on a blend that is heavy on the tannins, as it may be too overpowering. You’d prefer something with a pleasant and vibrant personality, just like the Asconi Pastoral. If you don’t want a French wine, go for the Canon 13 Pinot Noir from the United States or the Spanish Torres Altos Ibéricos Crianza.
Pairing with Fish
Best Options: Yarden Chardonnay 2018, Silver Mountain Pinot Noir
What we are going for: Medium to full-bodied whites for rich salmon, light-red tannins.
If you have been enjoying different blends over a number of years, then you may consider this fish and white wine pairing old fashioned, however, it is still an excellent starting point when you are looking for the best wines to pair with your fish.
Ray-finned fish such as salmon is rich and fatty and washing it down with some wine will keep it in check. Yarden Chardonnay 2018 is a safe choice. If your dish includes a creamy salmon dish, you can pair it with Alamos Chardonnay from Argentina. Its full body character and high acidity make it a great choice for the rich fish and heavy sauce that you will be serving.
If you are planning to prepare your salmon, basically the same way you’d prepare a piece of steak, this is the perfect opportunity to pair it with red wine, most particularly the Silver Mountain Pinot Noir. You can also pair this Pinot Noir with other types of lighter fish dishes like tuna or cod.
Pairing with Sweet Foods
Best Options: Duchessa Lia Moscato D’Asti, Mateus Sparkling Rose Demi Sec
Easter season is filled with mountains of sweet, glaced treats that are gobbled up over the entire weekend. We recommend choosing a bottle that will match the selected tipple to the sweetness of your food. Sweet food can change the taste of the dry wine making it less fruity and flavorsome. These sweet palates really bring out the bitter notes of the wine that you are sipping on. This easily takes away the personality from your delicious bottle by overpowering the blend with sweet flavors. If you prefer a bottle of fizz with your hot chocolate buns, you can go for something sweet like the Mateus Sparkling Rose Demi Sec. A lighter styled Duchessa Lia Moscato D’Asti will work well in complementing the sweet spiciness of the dishes on your table.
Pairing with Chocolate
Best Options: Douglas Green Cape Ruby, Sandeman Tawny Port, Balbi Soprani Barolo DOCG
We would all love for wine and chocolate to pair perfectly, however, pairing these two can prove to be very tricky. Every chocolate palate is unique on its own way, and there are generally very few wines that pair well with chocolate. As a piece of chocolate melts, it covers your tongue in sugar masking the spicy and fruity flavors of your wine. The wine could end up leaving a hollow and bitter taste in your mouth.
If you are determined to pair wine with chocolate, you should select sweet fortified wines like the Douglas Green Cape Ruby, Sandeman Tawny Port, or even a Balbi Soprani Barolo DOCG from Italy.
Finally,
The perfect wine pairing can intensify the flavors of any meal making it so rich and invigorating. Whatever dish you will choose to serve this Easter weekend, we hope these tips help make your moments meal even more enjoyable! In as much as we all enjoy a wonderfully paired meal; the best part of any dinner will always be the people you share with. Enjoy!
