Spring is a busy time in the vineyard for winemakers, it’s the season that will shape the success of the vintage. Buds start to break and new shoots emerge, it’s a time of regeneration & growth. Winemakers are truly at the mercy of mother nature, so they will be watching the weather with trepidation, hoping to stave off heavy rain and frosts.
Spring also signals our first bank holidays of the year – hurrah! We have some perfect food and wine pairings for an Easter extravaganza.
What could be more of an Easter tradition than eating hot cross buns? They now come in a multitude of different flavours but personally I love the traditional version; toasted with butter. If the idea of wine with your breakfast sounds appealing, then you could try your buns with a demi-sec sparkling wine. The demi-sec style is made with just a touch of delicate sweetness to match up to the sticky glaze and currants.
Fresh Spring greens are finally in season, particularly asparagus. Asparagus is notoriously difficult to pair with wine as it contains a chemical that can make wines taste vegetal or even rotten with the wrong pairing. The key is the way you prepare it, ideally with lots of creamy or buttery sauce and serve slightly charred. You often find that a wine pairs well with food that originates from the same region. An ideal match would be a crisp and aromatic Riesling from Alsace, where asparagus has been grown for centuries.
If you are planning to serve lamb for your Easter family feast, then you need to consider the style of cooking and sauces when considering the best wine match. If slow-cooked and roasted then you need a rich and full-bodied red. A classic claret from Bordeaux or a new-world alternative would be perfect. The blend of grapes is Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Cabernet provides the tannins, structure and backbone of the wine and Merlot brings a plummy softness.
It would of course be remiss of me not to mention chocolate for Easter! Chocolate is a tricky one to pair with wine, particularly milk chocolate as it coats your mouth and can make wine taste bitter and astringent. The best thing to do is level up the sweetness with the richest dessert wine of all. A Muscat from Rutherglen in Australia is lusciously sweet with rich fruit flavours and would be the perfect match for your Cadbury’s egg this year. If you prefer dark chocolate then opt for a ruby Port. White chocolate is surprisingly easy to pair as it doesn’t contain cacao. Try a light and fruity red like a Pinot Noir or Beaujolais from France.
Four wines to try this Easter
Nyetimber Cuvee Cherie Demi-Sec English Sparkling Wine, Sussex, England, £29.75 from the Champagne Company
Only a few thousand bottles are made a year of this demi-sec from one of England’s top sparkling wine producers. This cuvee has the delicate sweetness of honey notes, balanced with pure citrus lemon and tangerine flavours and a refreshing minerality. Insider tip – it also goes great with sushi!
Cave de Beblenheim Kleinfels Riesling, Alsace, France, £10.99 from Waitrose
Dry with plenty of citrus-fruit flavours and floral aromatics. A Riesling that shows all the hallmarks of the classic Alsace style, elegant with a certain weight and richness which is balanced by a briskness finish.
Journey’s End Kendal Lodge Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Blend, Stellenbosch, South Africa, £9.00 from Marks & Spencer
This wine is made from grapes grown in the premium region of Stellenbosch then aged in French oak barrels. It is full-bodied with flavours of blackberry fruits and roasted herbs, a perfect match with roast lamb.
Campbell's Rutherglen Muscat Half Bottle, Australia, £12.49 mix six from Majestic
The Campbell family began making wine in 1870. In the present day Julie Campbell, the fifth generation, creates this complex, elegant and deliciously rich Muscat. It has hedonistic flavours of raisin and oak. Pairs just as beautifully with strong cheeses if chocolate isn’t your thing!
