6 Eggs-cellent Wines for Easter

When we pair wines for holiday dinners, occasions where our meals typically look more like a marathon than a sprint, starting in the late afternoon with nibblies as guests gather and running into the into the night with a multi-course dinner, we generally don’t get overly fussed about the perfect pairing. In fact, we’re pretty sure there isn’t one given the multitude of dishes, flavours and textures weaving through our Easter smorgasbord.

Related: Easter Wines for Any Feast

Usually what we do when bringing together loved ones to mark a special day, is break out the good stuff. Not necessarily expensive, though that’s certainly one way of approaching the day, but bottles that mean something, wines we’re excited to try and happy to share. Of course, we don’t go totally rogue, we keep our menu in mind and try to do a reasonable match up without sweating the minor details. It’s a holiday, who wants to sweat?

Related: 6 Holiday Wine Strategies

Depending on the main focus of your Easter meal – lamb, ham, turkey – you can lean one way or the other. Just remember, the LCBO is closed Easter Sunday, so get your shopping done on Saturday.

Sparkling

We love starting a party with sparkling. Not only does it feel festive and celebratory, but the higher acidity naturally present in bubbly means it’s great for food pairing. When you’re faced with everything from cheese and charcuterie boards to puff pastries to devilled eggs and shrimp cocktail, you want something that can be flexible and substantial enough to make a decent dance partner with many different foods.

Jackson-Triggs “Entourage” Grand Reserve Brut, VQA Niagara Peninsula 2011
$24.95 Vintages 234161
A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir produced in the Champagne method, the wine was aged for more than 2 years on its lees for a toasty, bready note with lemon citrus and mineral. A great option for seafood, puff pastry appetizers or even salted potato chips.

White

We’re big fans of bright & crisp whites like Riesling & Chablis with cheese plates, certain vegetable appetizers & poached seafood. For meals ranging from fish on Friday, roast ham or turkey, rich and creamy white wines are a natural pairing.

La Crema Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, California, USA 2014
$29.95 Vintages 962886
Slight toast, mild tropical fruit and sweet cream on the nose, the palate shows light tropical fruit, flint and a nutty, toasty note with a delicately creamy texture. Mostly fermented in French barrels, the oak, while present, is kept impressively in check for an elegant and highly drinkable wine especially with holiday ham or roast turkey.

Casa do Arrabalde Avesso/Alvarinho/Arinto, Minho, Portugal 2014
$14.95 Vintages 429324
Bright and crisp with fresh citrus and tree fruit notes with a subtle undercurrent of steely minerality. A terrific price point for entertaining, this is calling for spicy prawns and seafood.

Red

Our Easter dinner will feature hearty roast beef. Of course there will be other things, potatoes and some green veg to balance the guilt factor, but let’s be real the meat is where it’s at. Also, as much as we’re thinking spring, after the freezing rain storm in Toronto, and this weekend only maybe hitting 10 degrees at best, we’re hankering for a little soul warming red.

Domaine Roux Pere & Fils “Les Valozieres” Aloxe Corton 1er Cru, Burgundy, France 2009
$69.95 443564
Fine, firm tannin and rich with red fruits, earth and bitter chocolate. Medium bodied and expressive with elegance and poise. Pair this with roast Cornish hen, prime rib with jus or spring lamb chops.

Trius Red, VQA Niagara Peninsula, ON 2013
$22.95 Vintages 3030800
Cabernet Sauvignon makes up nearly half the blend, with the remaining going to Merlot and Cab Franc, this is smooth yet powerful with flavours of ripe blackberries and black cherries, dried, earthy herbs and smoke. Try with braised beef short ribs, roast lamb, or simply grilled steaks.

Frescobaldi “Nippozano” Chianti Ruffina Riserva, Tuscany, Italy 2014
$21.94 LCBO 107276
One of our favourite Chiantis, the Nippozano is always available in just about every decently stocked LCBO. With a balance of flavours ranging from bright red cherry and pomegranate to black currant, leather smoke, dark chocolate and leather,pair this with classic braises like osso buco, lamb stew or even your traditional Easter lasagna 😉