Riesling with glazed ham.
Cabernet Franc with leg of lamb.
And Chardonnay with roast turkey.
Those are the classic Easter feast-wine pairings.
But, you, by no means, have to stick with tradition.
Match what you like with what you want for a freestyle Easter long weekend of sipping, eating and celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, if that's your thing.
For instance, have any aromatic white wine with ham and-or turkey.
Rose will also go beautifully with ham and-or turkey, as well.
The ever-so-versatile ham or turkey can also be paired with a light and juicy red such as Pinot Noir or Gamay.
That same Pinot or Gamay can cross-over to be sipped with lamb, or pair your lamb with a bigger red such as Syrah, Merlot, Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon.
Now that we've established Easter wine-and-food pairing is a bit of a free-for-all, let's talk sparkling.
It's not a special occasion until the bubbly is popped.
So, kickstart the weekend, the meal or patio season with Hester Creek 2020 Old Vine Brut ($35), a sparkler made with Pinot Blanc grapes from 55-year-old vines.
This bubbly from the Oliver winery is clean and fresh and delicious, but also complex with some aromas and flavours of fresh-baked croissants, almonds and lemon peel.
In fact, sparkling is also multi-talented and can easily transition from stand-alone sipping to ham and-or turkey pairing or even milk or white chocolate.
Here are seven additional Easter wine recommendations:
- Joie Farm 2022 En Famille Whitfield Vineyard Riesling ($30) from the Naramata Bench, a lush, off-dry aromatic to elevate your ham or turkey
- Joie Farm 2022 PTG ($33) from the Naramata Bench, PTG stands for 'passe-tout-grains' the little know red blend originating in France's Burgundy region of Pinot Noir and Gamay.
This juicy and versatile red can handle ham, turkey or lamb and even chocolate mini-eggs.
- Speaking of wine-and-chocolate matches, the Road 13 Select Harvest 2021 Seventy-Four K from Oliver is a Merlot-led blend of seven red varietals that can be paired with dark chocolate (or lamb).
- Township 7 Benchmark Series 2022 Muscat (wine club exclusive) from the Naramata Bench is a dry, but heady, white aromatic that begs to be paired with glazed ham or turkey or milk chocolate.
- Hester Creek 2022 Chardonnay ($25) from Oliver is elegantly oaked to classically pair with your turkey.
- Mission HIll 2022 Terroir Collection Border Vista Vineyard Rose ($38) from West Kelowna can go with ham or turkey or chocolate-covered strawberries.
- Mission Hill 2020 Terroir Collection Vista's Edge Vineyard Cabernet Franc ($60) from West Kelowna, the aforementioned smooth, yet bold, red that's the classic pairing with leg of lamb.
Wineries open for the season
The Easter long weekend is typically when wineries reopen their on-site tasting rooms and shops for the season after a long winter.
I've received notes from so many wineries about their spring schedules, including the 20 wineries, cideries, distilleries and breweries on the Bottleneck Drive in Summerland, Black Hills Estate in Oliver and Joie Farm on the Naramata Bench.
Township 7 on the Naramata Bench is amping it up beyond the tasting room and shop opening to put on a Easter Egg Hunt in the Vines on Sunday from noon to 3 pm.
Tickets are $30 at www.township7.com/events/ and include a glass of wine, face painting and Easter egg hunt for the kids, grand prize draw at 3 pm and $5 food voucher for the on-site Law of Attraction food truck.
Steve MacNaull is a NowMedia Group reporter, Okanagan wine lover and Canadian Wine Scholar. Reach him at [email protected]. His wine column appears every Friday afternoon in this space.
