Pairing wine with your Easter dinner

easter-dinner
When it comes to pairing wine with Easter dinner, it’s not as simple as red or white. Many people believe you pair a red wine with red meat, and a white wine with white meat. Although that is true in some cases, we would recommend focusing on how you prepare your meal, and balancing your palate. The cut of the meat, the spices and sauces you cook it with, and how the meat is cooked is really what you’re pairing your wine to. If you are serving lamb or ham this Easter, here are some of our suggested wine pairings. Remember, balance is key and how you prepare your meat will determine what you pair it with.

Leg of Lamb: Normally, leg of lamb is oven-roasted with heavy spices. If your spice of choice is garlic, we suggest a Zinfandel or Malbec. Both are full-bodied wines that feature some fruit under tones, which will balance the garlic flavor while complementing the juiciness of the lamb. Our favorites are Bogle Zinfandel “Old Vine” for $11.99 and Alhambra Malbec for $9.99. If your spice of choice is rosemary, pair your meal with an oaky Cabernet Sauvignon. When choosing a Cabernet, know that the lower end Cabs under $10 normally feature little to no oak. So reach for a mid-high end Cabernet to ensure you get that high oak flavor. Our favorites are Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells at $17.99 and Francis Ford Coppola Diamond Series Cabernet at $15.99.  A dish that features Thai or Indian spices will require a sweeter white wine. Keuka Spring semi-sweet Riesling for $12.99 or a Gewurztraminer like Chateau St. Michelle for $10.99 are great picks. If you would rather prepare leg of lamb with a sweet sauce like the traditional mint jelly, we would again suggest a heavier red wine such as a Cabernet or a Zinfandel.

Lamb Chops: Generally, lamb chops are prepared with spices so we would pair the dish with a stronger, full-bodied red. A Cabernet or Petit Syrah –  both high in tannins would pair nicely with lamb chops. The tannins will help cut the thickness of the meat and the strong taste of the lamb. The berry or plum notes in these drier reds will also enhance the juiciness of the meat, while the natural spice flavors in the wine will enhance the spice of the dish. Our top choices are Klinker Brick Syrah for $18.99 or Bogle Petit Sirah for $11.49. You could also pair a sweeter lamb chop dish, made with a fig sauce, for example with a Syrah or Merlot like 14 Hands for $9.99. These red wines that hold some spice notes, or a drier white wine like Dr. Frank dry Riesling for $14.99, would help off set some of the sweetness.

The most traditional way to prepare a ham dinner on Easter is to bake or oven roast it with ham or pineapple.

Honey Ham: We suggest pairing a honey ham with a fruitier white wine like Pinot Grigio or a semi-dry Riesling. Our suggestions are Kris Pinot Grigio or Dr. Frank semi-dry Riesling, both for $12.99. The fruit in the wine will enhance the sweet taste of the honey. It is important to choose wine with fruitier undertones because if not, the sweetness from the honey will make the wine appear more acidic and dry. When choosing a red wine for this dish, a light to medium bodied wine with fruity cherry and berry notes, like Blackstone Pinot Noir for $9.99, Wild Horse Pinot Noir for $17.99 or Louis Jadot Beaujolais Village for $11.99, would also pair well. Whether you lean toward red or white, be sure to choose a lighter wine to keep from overpowering the flavors in your ham.

Ham with Pineapple: Much like the honey ham dish, you will want to choose a light, fruiter wine when preparing ham with pineapple. The perfect complement for this meal would be a soft, fruity white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or a light, fruity red like Beaujolais. New Zealand Brancott Sauvignon Blanc for $10.99 or the Louis Jadot Beaujolais Village would be our top suggestions.

Of course, the perfect wine pairing can enhance any meal. Just remember to keep the palate balanced. And as much as we all enjoy a wonderfully paired meal, the best part of any dinner will always be the people you share with. Enjoy!