Easter wine recommendations

Wondering what wines you should serve for this year’s Easter feast? The simple answer, of course, is a crisp, light, white wine for appetizers and a medium to full-bodied white or red for the traditional lamb and ham dishes.

Many people prefer a cocktail first, to start the Holiday tradition, but, since this is a wine column for Easter, we will focus only on the star of the day, the grape.

Of course, my first choice, when greeting friends with appetizers, is always a sparkling wine, either Champagne, Cava or Prosecco. Depending on what is being served, various white wines work well with appetizers.

A Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadet or Sancerre always goes well with a shrimp cocktail. For clams or oysters, try a Chablis.

Guwurztraminer goes well with asparagus. Pinot Grigio goes with everything.

These wines I suggest for your appetizer/first course:
Cava Naveran, $17
Mionetto Prosecco, $14
2011 Heitz Sauvignon Blanc, $18
2011 Pastou Sancerre, $18

Many families serve a second course, such as pasta or stuffed manicotti with tomato sauce. Normally a bottle of red wine made from the Sangiovese grape works best, such as a chianti or vino nobile.

Bottles range from $8 to $38. I normally spend $15 or under.

Some people like fresh ham, others smoked ham. There are many wine choices to cater to the likes of both.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Riesling:
2011 St.Urbans Hof Riesling Q.B.A.,$15
2006 Jim Barry Riesling Lodge Hill,$18
2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling Eroica, $19

Viognier:
2009 Domaine de Triennes Viognier Saint-Fleur, $16
2009 Yangarra Viognier, $19

Roses:
2010 Chateau d’Aqueria Tavel Rose, $18

Pinot Noir:
2007 Bear Boat Russian River Pinot Noir, $18
2008 Wild Rock Cupid’s Arrow Pinot Noir, $17
2009 Benton Lane Pinot Noir, $23

Then there was lamb.

Typically, a Merlot based wine once satisfied a leg of lamb. Today, there are many choices.

My favorites include:

Whites:
2011 Vielle Fermes Cotes du Lubern Blanc, $8
2010 Tablas Creek Patelin de Tables Blanc, $17
2008 Montirius Vacqueyras Mineral Blanc, $24
2009 Richard Leroy Anjou Les Rouliers, $28

Rhone Reds:
2010 La Vielle Ferme Rouges Cotes-du-Ventoux, $8
2011 Domaine d’Andezon Cotes-du-Rhone, $13
2009 VDP Domaine du Pegau Plan Pegau Lot, $17
2009 Michel Poinard Crozes Hermitage  $21

For desert, we can go all directions.

For fruit and cheese, some Port perhaps. Muscat with cookies and cakes. Vin Santo goes well with biscotti. How about some brandy with your coffee/expresso or a cigar?

Happy Holidays from all of us at The Berkshire Beacon!

Posted by Phillip Kampe on March 21, 2013. Filed under Columns,Food,Opinion,Wine and Beyond. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry