The Easter holiday is always a popular one for pairing wines with food. There are different cultures that incorporate an abundance of dishes that often include roasted ham, grilled lamb, roasted Brussels sprouts and hearty fish. Brunch is also popular for Easter, incorporating egg dishes, French toast, sausage and bacon. White, red and rosé wines all marry well with the dishes. While some work better than others, a common theme among them is a good balance of acid and fruit. We want wines slightly higher in acid to pair with Easter cuisine. Some recommendations:
Brunch
Biutiful Brut Cava, Spain. It’s always nice to start out a meal with sparkling wine. This two-person collaboration was instrumental in bringing Spanish wines to the U.S. market. The wine is pronounced as the word “beautiful.” Made in the Champagne method style, this bubbly is dry with some yeasty and bread undertones while the palate is bone dry. It’s made from three grapes indigenous to that area – macabeo, parellada and xarel-lo – and is aged one year before it is released. Under $20.
Olivares Rosado, Spain. Made from 100% garnacha (grenache), this selection’s acid is prominent and noticeable upon the first sip, yet it has a nice balance with the strawberry, raspberry and bing cherry fruit. It’s stainless steel fermented, which adds to its vibrancy, and it does not require aging. Under $15.
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GOT IT COVERED: There are an abundance of Easter dishes and a wine that’s a great pairing for them.
COURTESY JESSICA NORRIS GRANATIERO[/caption]
St. Cosme White Blend, France. Made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and viognier from southern France, this gem has a medium body. Tropical fruit notes and hints of honey jump from the glass. It has a luscious roundness that coats the mouth beautifully while its acidity shines through boldly. Under $20.
Domaine Dupeuble Beaujolais, France. This is such a classic Beaujolais (made from the gamay noir grape) that pairs with almost anything and is a go-to for me. Its purity of blackberry fruit pushes through onto the nose and palate. The vines range from 50 to 100 years old, and the soil type is limestone and granite, which adds a nice chalkiness to the wine. It is aged without any oak influence in stainless steel and cement tanks. Under $25.
Dinner
La Spinetta Vermentino, Italy. Vermentino is the name of the grape and comes from a variety of regions in Italy, including Tuscany, where this wine is produced. This white is medium body and is perfect for the myriad of Easter dishes. It has citrus, almond and tropical fruit notes, is savory, as well as aromatic. It rests on its lees for three months in stainless steel tanks. The soils are sandy with maritime sediment adding an acidic quality. Under $25.
Pasqua Passimento Red Blend, Italy. From the Veneto region, this is a red blend made from corvina, croatina and merlot. The grapes are picked by hand and dried in wooden crates. The process brings forth a deep, dark berry fruit concentration. The wine is made first in stainless steel tanks, and then it ages in oak barrels for another three months. It has a deep, fruit-forward flavor profile of plums, blackberries and black cherries. There is a bold acidity and a light smokiness on the finish. It is a selection for meat and ham dishes. Under $20.
Chateau Daviaud, Bordeaux, France. This is by far one of the best-value Bordeaux red wines. It over-delivers for the price. A blend of mostly merlot, along with cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and malbec, all of them adding depth. The grapes benefit greatly from the sunny limestone hillsides on which they grow. The resulting wine is medium- to full-bodied with a beautiful garnet hue. Aromatic, it gives us blackberry, blueberry and black currant flavors. Under $15.
Jessica Norris Granatiero is the founder of The Savory Grape, a wine, beer and spirits shop in East Greenwich. She can be reached through her website, www.jessicagranatiero.com or by email at jessica@thesavorygrape.com.
