8 wonderful wines for classic Easter fare
A veritable feast with a fanfare of food, whether you’re entertaining family and friends or pleasing yourself, the long Easter weekend offers plenty of opportunity to indulge in your favourite treats – with a glass in hand.
From Good Friday supper to Easter Sunday roast and sweet moments along the way, these top drops will ensure you don’t get caught on the hop…
Super fresh, super delicious and full of verve, you can’t beat vinho verde for versatility and a great all-rounder. Part of Lidl’s Spring Wine Tour, this label happens to be particularly mouth-watering and one to wash down with smoked salmon canapés, savoury appetisers and asparagus tarts with its fruity nuances, balanced acidity and hint of spritz.
A cracking chenin blanc and star match with gourmet fish pie or pan-fried scallops, this own label offers a wealth of honeyed stone fruits. Rounded and full bodied with floral accents to the apple pastry and peach flavours, hints of honey feature on the long, refreshing finish. An added bonus, it’s been awarded 92 points by Decanter.
Sleek and elegant with typical minerally nuances, lemon drop aromas mingle with freshly cut green apple with soft flinty notes to the ripe, white fruit; backed by fresh acidity, finishing long and rounded. Highly recommended with smoked salmon starters, oysters or grilled lobster if you’re splashing out.
A gorgeous garnacha wine critics are raving about, you really can’t go wrong with this food-friendly Spanish gem. Bursting with black cherry, ripe raspberry and juicy, plummy notes, light spice and black pepper lingers on the smooth finish. Think slow cooked pulled pork, gammon steaks for easy brunch menus and concentrated enough to stand up to manchego cheese and dark chocolate desserts.
This ace offering from Aldi is a brilliant buy: excellent vintage, famous Left Bank appellation, concentration and freshness. Cabernet sauvignon dominant, the 2016 vintage is cited for its elegance, ripe red fruits, silky tannins and freshness on the finish, which this seductive style delivers in spades.
Spain’s calling card, a splendid Rioja is the perfect choice with spring lamb, especially this tempranillo blend in full bloom. Beautiful forest fruit aromas draw you in, with heaps of plush black fruits, lick of vanilla oak, twist of black pepper, whisper of liquorice, smooth tannins and silky freshness to pair with more delicate pink cuts. Awarded 92 points in wine critic Tim Atkin’s 2023 Rioja Report.
A far cry from run of the mill malbec, this single vineyard expression hails from century old vines and balances elegance with complexity. Deep in structure yet full of finesse, the wine exhibits wonderful aromatics with top notes of violets and rose petals, and base of blueberry and plums, handsome black fruits with spicy notes unfold and flesh out with silky smooth tannins steering the finish. A superb choice with herb-crusted fillet of beef.
For a sweet ending and to round off your Easter feast, a luscious tawny port served lightly chilled will cheer a happy bunny. We’ve singled out this Decanter silver medal winner for its dense, complex flavours of dried fruits, raisins, nuts and caramel which caress the taste buds – and begs to be drunk. One for chocolate desserts, strong cheeses, apple pie… or a cheeky glass to savour on its own.