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      Wines With Attitude

      Easter foods & wine

      Easter eggs and spring flowers on a pink background with the caption Perfect wines for Easter

      The long Easter weekend is a great time for getting together with family and friends. It’s an excuse to celebrate after the long winter months and perhaps splash out on some great wine and food. There is no one specific Easter dish in the UK so in this blogpost I look at a number of main dishes served up and down the country and make suggestions for wines that will complement if not enhance your Easter dinner, lunch or brunch.

      Note that it can be difficult to find wines to complement all the different flavours in some dishes. First rule of thumb is to match the richness and weight of the main dish with the body of the wine; so that means richer dishes with heavier, fuller-bodied wines and light foods with lighter wines.

      WINE FOR EASTER FISH DISHES

      Fish at Easter by Wines With Attitude
      My local fishmongers tell me that the tradition of eating fish on Good Friday is less adhered to these days but this doesn’t stop them having one of their busiest days of the year on Good Friday. If you are going to have a #FishFriday light crisp wines are usually a good first choice. So try something like a minerally Italian Gavi di Gavi, Sauvignon Blanc or this zesty Spanish Ribeiro.
       
      However if rich sauces or stronger flavours like red peppers are served with the fish you would be wise to choose a white wine with more body like a Sémillon or a Chardonnay, oaked or unoaked.
       
      One exception is for Poached Salmon where the classic match is an oaked Chardonnay from Burgundy or in the style of Burgundy if served without sauces.
      Red wine and fish has traditionally been a No-No in the UK but not so much in Mediterranean countries so if you want to try red wine with fish, take a leaf out of their book and choose a lighter, fruity style of red wine – or a rosé such as this amazing Sancerre rosé. If you choose to brave cooler weather and are eating outside, bear in mind that cold red wine can taste a little flat so make sure your wine is up to room temperature before you take it outside and put some sort of insulation around the bottle to stop it cooling down too much.

      The fundamental rule, whatever colour wine you choose is not to overpower the fish.

      WINE FOR EASTER CHICKEN OR TURKEY

      Roast chicken and turkey are relatively light but if you are serving either with lots of accompaniments the meal can become rich so bear that in mind.
       
      You can serve red or white wine depending on personal preference; for me it would have to be an oaked Chardonnay.
       
      If you do decide on red wine, since chicken has little fat in it make sure the wine does not have too many tannins – tannic wines need fattier cuts of meat to help soften the tannins. I would suggest a Cabernet Sauvignon with a bit of age and low tannins, a Pinot Noir or a Rhône or Rhône-style wine. Again if you are having Easter dinner outside and the weather is cool, tannins can seem harsher still, so that’s another reason to go for a low tannin option.
      Chicken or Turkey for Easter by Wines With Attitude

      WINE FOR EASTER BEEF

      Beef for Easter by Wines With Attitude
       
      Given the guidance above on tannins, the best match for roast beef will also depend on the fattiness of the meat: so choose red wines with lower tannins like a Cru Beaujolais or a mature Claret for less fatty beef and, for a more fatty joint, opt for red wines with more tannins to cut through the richness, for example a fruitier style of Cabernet Sauvignon.

      WINE FOR EASTER LAMB

      Roast Lamb is a popular dish for Easter Sunday and as a fattier meat will stand up to a more tannic wines which effectively cleanse the palate. Left Bank Bordeaux wines which are usually Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant will work beautifully or a New World Cabernet or Cabernet-dominant Bordeaux blend but again, try not to serve the wine too cold or to let it get cold as the tannins will seem harsher than usual.
       
      I also find an excellent match in a top Rioja or you could try Priorat for a change, another smooth Spanish wine from the top DOCG qualification level.
       

      If you prefer not to have red wine, then look at Provence rosés or an oaked white wine like a Semillon.

      Lamb for Easter by Wines With Attitude

      WINE FOR EASTER DUCK

      For duck the classic pairing is Pinot Noir whatever the sauces served with it. But alternatives could include fruity reds from Beaujolais or Italy where the acidity of the wine will cut through the fat. For a special Easter treat, this Morgon which is something of a cult wine has been tried and tested by yours truly as a great pairing with roast duck.
       
      Easter wine for duck from Wines With Attitude

      WINE FOR EASTER HAM & GAMMON

      Ham for Easter by Wines With Attitude
       
      You should also avoid tannic wines if your dish is salty like roast ham or gammon although sweet glazes on the meat can counter this clash to some extent. I suggest an off-dry style of Riesling or oaked Chardonnay and for red wine, a fruity red such as Cru Beaujolais or a Rhône or Rhône-style Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre (“GSM”) blend.
       
       

      WINE FOR EASTER VEGETARIAN & VEGAN DISHES

      There are so many options for vegan and vegetarian food that it is impossible to generalise on the best wine; as a guideline  think about the sauces and strong flavours of the dish and make sure you select a wine that won’t overpower delicate flavours and that won’t be masked by stronger flavours.
       
      If you decided to go for a traditional nut roast, you will need a full-bodied white such as Chenin Blanc, Sémillon or an oaked Chardonnay as it can be quite rich or a fruity red wine such as a Cru Beaujolais. Vegetable dominant dishes generally match well with Sancerre but creamy sauces need something less crisp like Chenin Blanc or a New World Chardonnay.
       

      Mushrooms need a wine that’s quite earthy and you will find Pinot Noir or an oaked Chardonnay to be the perfect partner.

      Plant-based food for Easter by Wines With Attitude

      AND WINE FOR CHOCOLATE!

      Ice wine is perfect for chocolate desserts Wines With Attitude
      And as it’s Easter a brief mention of chocolate… one of the most difficult foods with which to pair wine. My absolute current favourite is Weingut Turk’s ice wine or eiswein which will go with all types of chocolate. It’s sweet but with lovely fresh acidity to balance the sweetness.
       
      • For a good minimum 70% cocoa dark chocolate, try port or you might get away with Touriga Nacional wine made from one of the main port grapes. Generally though red wines will clash with chocolate and create a bitter taste
       
      • For milk chocolate a slightly sweeter style wine will match the creaminess so try a Recioto della Valpolicella or Amarone
       
      • For sweet white chocolate follow the guidance for desserts and find a wine sweeter than the food like the light, slightly sweet but crisp, sparkling wine, Moscato d’Asti (also perfect with fruity and lemon-flavoured desserts.

      Cheers!

      I am passionate about good quality wine and set up Wines With Attitude to share that passion with other wine lovers. If you’re feeling sociable why not follow me on social media or share my blog with others?

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