With cherry blossoms and daffodils blooming everywhere, you know that spring is in the air! And in a few days, Easter will be here along with chocolate bunnies and special dinners.
In my kitchen, Easter dinner centres on family, tasty food, and delicious wines that celebrate the season of rebirth. Usually, I have two of the following main dishes: roast turkey, baked ham and lamb chops.
The turkey and ham are so versatile. You can select whites, rosés, or reds and all of them will complement the main course.
The TNT 2012 Chardonnay ($20.90) from the Okanagan Crush Pad will go well with the big bird. It’s part of the Okanagan Wine Campus, a mentorship where Vancouver’s Sommelier of the Year makes a small lot wine using the grape variety and style of their choice. The proceeds from the sale of the wine fund a wine scholarship to support sommelier candidates.
As Vancouver’s Sommelier of the Year in 2012, Terry Nicholas Threlfall (TNT) has made a dynamite of a Chardonnay. There’s no oak. Instead, the wine is aged in concrete eggs to promote the minerality one associates with Chablis. Fresh and vibrant, with notes of citrus, apples, and apricot and a creamy texture.
Also from the Okanagan at Naramata is the Hillside 2014 Un-oaked pinot gris ($19.99). I love its refreshing peach character, charming copper hue, plus crisp acidity. This has an off-dry finish which will match the ham baked with pineapple and maraschino cherries.
For the turkey’s dark meat, the ham, and the lamb chops, I have two reds. One is the Stoneboat 2011 Duet ($21.90) from Oliver. A blend of almost equal parts of pinot noir and pinotage, this delicious medium-bodied red has a bouquet and flavour of dark fruits and forest floor, with a whiff of smoke, cloves and cinnamon. From further afield I recommend the Rolling 2011 Shiraz ($18.99) from New South Wales, Australia. It’s from the cooler regions of the Central Ranges and what greets you is a French syrah style with a generous grinding of black pepper and savoury flavours against a gentle backdrop of blackberries. Distinctive, well balanced, and a perfect complement to any of the three proteins.
For the final touch, savour the KWV Paarl Cape Tawny ($12.99) from South Africa. Made in a style like Portuguese tawny port, this is so affordable and a great value. It is crème brulée in a glass, with complex notes of butterscotch, nuts, fruitcake, and cream. A superb match with some delicious blue cheese, such as stilton. The tawny is also wonderful with some dark chocolate the Easter Bunny may have left for you!
All of the B.C. wines are available at Sip Wines and the Rolling Shiraz is found at government stores.
Eric Hanson is retired teacher and wine educator
