Best Wine for Easter Sunday

The grandest Sunday of spring is now only weeks away. Thinking about wine for Easter yet? Let’s. In fact, let’s think about more than what sumptuous, full-bodied reds that will go best with a classic, roast leg of lamb. Let’s think about whites, too–let’s think about wines with chocolate.

In this blog, we’re going to broaden the scope of Easter wine appreciation. Sure, there’ll be enough to extoll about the virtues of Rioja, Bordeaux and Rhône, but there’ll also be enough for exploring some of FVD’s finer alternatives.

Pairing Wine with Chocolate

So, let’s dive into what’s most difficult of all: how to pair wine and chocolate. Milk chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate. Here, the key is matching sweetness levels and balanced tannins.

First stop, then, is Rutherglen Muscat from Australia. It’s produced with Muscat grapes harvested at high sugar levels. This wine is then transferred into barrels and casks of different volumes (generally for anything between 2 and 5 years for this Rutherglen classification) which are then blended to produce youthful, fresh wines showing impressive complexity and concentrated flavours.

Rutherglen Muscat’s got it all. Luscious, sweet fruit on the palate, with cashew, pecan and almond nuttiness, notes of dried figs, sultanas and prunes, sweet spice, floral aromas. All harmonise beautifully with any style of chocolate. It’s like the ‘fruit & nut’ complement component coming in liquid form.

• Milk Chocolate: A ripe, fruity Pinot Noir or a smooth Tawny Port works wonders. If you prefer white wine, try a rich Viognier—its peachy, floral notes complement the creamy sweetness.

• Dark Chocolate: The higher the cocoa content, the more structured your wine should be. A bold, berry-packed Zinfandel or a luscious Vintage Port is a fantastic match. If you're into dry reds, an Amarone della Valpolicella brings raisined fruit and spice that work beautifully.

• White Chocolate: Sweetness is key here. A Moscato d'Asti or a late-harvest Riesling will elevate the vanilla and caramel-like flavours of white chocolate.

Quick tip: If in doubt, just go for the Rutherglen. Really. It’s naturally sweet, rich, and has the body to stand up to any chocolate. In a word, perfect.

The Classic Easter Roast: Wine With Lamb

Roast lamb is the Easter centrepiece for many, and choosing the right wine can take your meal from good to unforgettable. Lamb’s richness and slight gaminess call for wines with good acidity, firm tannins, and plenty of depth.

Classic, Go-To Reds:

These need little introduction, but the very thought of washing down a tender, succulent, flaky morsel of roast lamb with a mature claret, Rioja or Rhône is alone worthy of the write-up. So, let’s recap:

• Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon: A no-brainer for ensuring the structured, full-bodied reds by which lamb’s richness and fattiness are served so well. Here, tannins and acidity so prominent in a Médoc Bordeaux or Mendoza Cabernet cut through this richness and cleanse the palate, while blackcurrant, cedar, and herbal notes dance on it, complementing the dish beautifully.

• Rioja Reserva or Gran Reserva: Rioja brings savoury depth with notes of dried fruit, leather, and spice. The Tempranillo grape’s natural acidity keeps things fresh against the richness of the lamb.

• Syrah/Shiraz: Whether it’s a Northern Rhône Syrah or an Aussie Shiraz, you get dark fruit, pepper, and smoky elements that pair deliciously with lamb roast.

• Southern Rhône Reds: Expanding on the above, any red, whether Côtes du Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages, Gigondas, Châteauneuf du Pape etc., are no-brainers with lamb. Their typically blended components of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault provide bags of juicy, luscious red and black fruit, and always with the hallmark wild, herbaceous ‘garrigue’ nuances to supremely enhance any lamb dish.

Alternative Reds

• Malbec: Although usually associated with steak/beef, choosing a high-altitude, single-vineyard, Mendozan Malbec will have you patting your back. Because what’s so delicious is with lamb’s deep, gamey flavours are expressive, minty blackberry fruit on the nose with notes of roasted coffee and warm, sweetish bramble fruit, savoury spice and soft ripe tannins.

• Sangiovese/Chianti/Brunello di Montalcino: Although arguably a more popular option than mere ‘alternative’, this Tuscan icon and its insuperable, mouthwatering acidity, juicy, deep, dark-cherry and sweet-spicy fruit profile, herbaceous nuances and pronounced tannic structure is hand-in-glove stuff when it comes to roast lamb. A perfect–perfect–match.

• Nebbiolo: Piedmont’s signature varietal, renowned for its vibrant, robust structure, its fresh, juicy, almost electric acidity, super-grippy tannins, seductive aromatics and dark-cherry and sweet spice fruit profile, it easily rivals Sangiovese as an ideal match with roast lamb. In fact, so exceptional is Nebbiolo’s structure, that it’s commonly suggested Barolo or Barbaresco reds (Piedmont’s most popular appellations for the varietal) be aged for at least ten years before opening. So, although it is to die for when put with lamb, make sure you pour something with at least five years of age or more.

• Barbera: Another Piedmont classic, and very much with Nebbiolo’s dazzling level of acidity for cutting through all fattiness. However on the palate, darker, richer, plummy, mocha-nuanced fruit to pair beautifully with lamb’s gamey richness.

White Wine with Lamb?

Yes. Not everyone reaches for red, and some white wines can stand up to lamb’s richness surprisingly well. Try these:

• Chardonnay (Burgundy or New World with oak influence): A buttery, toasty Chardonnay can hold its own, especially with a lamb dish that includes creamy sauces or roasted root veg.

• Alsace: Whether Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris or Riesling, white wines of Alsace and their hallmark crispness, full-bodied fruitiness, spiciness, vibrant minerality and acidity make them fabulous options for matching with the richness of lamb.

• White Rhône Blend (Marsanne/Roussanne/Viognier): With rich texture and notes of stone fruit, honey, and spice, it works beautifully with herby lamb.

Other Easter Feast Pairings

If lamb isn't on your menu, here are some other great Easter food-and-wine pairings:

• Glazed Ham: Try a fruity, spicy Beaujolais Cru, Pinot Noir or an off-dry Vouvray (Chenin Blanc) to match the sweet and salty contrast.

• Spring Vegetables (Asparagus, Peas, Artichokes): These can be tricky with wine, but Sauvignon Blanc (especially from the Loire or New Zealand) or Grüner Veltliner work well.

Easter Wines to Stock Up On: Quick Guide

For a foolproof Easter wine selection, here’s a shortlist to ensure all’s in place:

• Aperitif: Go off-piste and away from the routine grandes marques and pop a ‘single grower’ Champagne instead. Better still, English Sparkling Wine
• For the roast lamb: A classic Bordeaux, Rioja, Sangiovese or Syrah
• For the chocolate eggs: Rutherglen Muscat or Port
• For the cheese board: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay or Pinot Noir

After all, Easter is about celebrating with good food, great company, and, of course, fantastic wines – wines FromVineyardsDirect.

-- David Adamick, FromVineyardsDirect