Easter is just around the corner, and along with chocolate eggs and bunnies comes the task of cooking the family feast and figuring out which wines to pair with your meal. With so many variations of Easter dinner, we’re rounded up our picks for best BC wine pairings to match with your meal no matter what you may be prepping…
Turkey
Turkey, with gravy and cranberry, still seems to show up as the popular choice for holiday gatherings like Easter. The goal of food and wine pairing is to match the weight of the dish with the weight of the wine, so with that in mind you should avoid heavy red wines with turkey. Pinot Noir and Gamay would be excellent choices for lighter reds with low tannins that won’t overpower the white meat. The red fruit and spice notes in these reds will also be a nice match for the cranberry or gravy that may land on your perfectly cooked turkey.
For white wines, try an Okanagan Pinot Gris or Chardonnay (oaked or un-oaked). These whites typically have a nice array of ripe orchard fruit flavours, medium weight and soft texture that will work well.
Notable recommendations:
Poplar Grove Pinot Gris 2012, Okanagan Valley, BC
www.poplargrove.ca
Tawse Quarry Road Chardonnay 2011, Niagara, Ontario
www.tawsewinery.ca
Blue Mountain Gamay 2012, Okanagan Falls, BC
http://www.bluemountainwinery.com/
TH Wines Pinot Noir 2012, Okanagan Valley, BC
www.thwines.com
Ham
Since ham is so flavourful and often accompanied by honey glaze or mustard, you will need an equally flavourful wine to stand up to the dish. We love pairing ham with oaked Chardonnay or a heavier Rosé; both of these wines have enough flavour and backbone to create harmony between the wine and the food. From the nutty, buttery flavours of an oaked Chardonnay to the plump, red fruit flavours of a full Rosé, both of the wines will do the job.
Our recommendations:
Norman Hardie Unfiltered County Chardonnay 2012, PEC, Ontario
www.normanhardie.com
Meyer Family Vineyards Tribute Chardonnay 2012, Okanagan Falls, BC
www.mfvwines.com
JoieFarm Rosé 2013, Naramata, BC
www.joiefarm.com
Salmon
Salmon has been known to be the focus of the West Coast dinner plate on any and every big occasion. This is an excellent opportunity to highlight some of the excellent aromatic wines we produce in Canada. Riesling, Pinot Gris and dry Rosé are all excellent matches for salmon that exhibit zesty fruit characters combined with fresh acidity to cut the oiliness of the fish. If you must have red wine, Pinot Noir is light enough in tannin to harmonize with salmon dishes.
Our recommendations:
Charles Baker ‘Picone Vineyard’ Riesling 2011, Niagara, Ontario
www.charlesbaker.ca
Tantalus Riesling 2012, Okanagan Valley, BC
www.tantalus.ca
Unsworth Vineyards Rose 2012/13, Cowichan Valley, BC
www.unsworthvineyards.com
Lamb
Put the Pinot Gris and the Chardonnay away: you need red wine for this pairing. Canadians have had some major success in Syrah/Shiraz production and this just happens to be the perfect pairing for lamb dishes. The big, bold flavours of ripe black fruit and spice will truly complement the richness of any lamb dish.
Our recommendations:
Road 13 Vineyards Jackpot Syrah 2011, Oliver, BC
www.road13vineyards.com
Jackson Triggs Niagara Estate ‘Grand Reserve’ Shiraz 2011, Niagara, Ontario
www.jacksontriggswinery.com
Happy Easter!
#LYNL | (Live Your Notable Life)
Cover image from: bbrblog.com
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