THE ULTIMATE EASTER WINES!
EASTER WINES
Well, let’s see. The certain facts are that 1) Easter is coming, 2) we will eat and 3) we will drink! Nobody knows if we will go to the countryside, to our villages, to islands or if we will be able to gather together! Do not worry, everything will be ok in the end and I will tell you how it will get ever better! So, let's see the Easter Wines together!
On Holy Saturday, after the Resurrection, magiritsa is the honorable dish, either in the classic or in the vegetarian version, with mushrooms. What to drink with it? Magiritsa is a demanding dish as it is an oily soup, with many herbs and egg sauce so it wants a wine with the same texture, high acidity and fruity character. I would recommend Elia Vidiano Karavitakis Winery which has balanced oak barrel, refreshing acidity and dense fruit! If you belong to the category of those who do not fancy magiritsa (like me) you will probably prefer a pork carre with honey and mustard for example. In this case I would recommend Moschopolis 6 because it has everything you need to take off the dish. In our house, on Holy Saturday we eat beef. The recipe includes thin slices of meat that has been marinated overnight and then baked in the oven with tomato slices and kefalograviera. As you can imagine we drink Xinomavro with that dish! Thymiopoulos's Earth and Sky is the ideal option!
Easter Sunday, as the lamb spins torturously over the fire, various other snacks are served at the Easter table. It is the season when the first fresh cheeses make their appearance either plain or in the form of a tart. A wine with crisp acidity and oiliness is essential, so put in your glass Malagouzia Mpougiouri Wines and you will score. On the other hand, all kinds of greens are cut into salads or put in vegetable pies and ask for an aromatic and herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc. I cannot think of anything better than Wild Rock Sauvignon Blanc. If, nevertheless, it is the season when you prefer rosés, then with the first appetizers you can enjoy a crisp and fruity rosé like the A-muse Muses Estate! You will eat eggs too, won't you? The egg is the headache of sommeliers because it is a bit tricky in terms of wine pairing, but there is a cheat sheet to win the gamble, sparkling wines! With Cuvee Brut Speciale I would be very happy! If you like to play dirty and make some twisted recipe like devilled eggs, open Orivatis Rose Akriotou Winery! It has plenty of fruit, refreshing acidity and a hint of sweetness to put up with this demanding dish!
On the main topic now: lamb ang goat! If the lamb or goat is not on the spit but in the oven with some vines, plenty of lemon, garlic and rosemary, then the perfect combinations are Tear of the Pine, an oaked Retsina from Assyrtiko or an aged Savvatiano like Vientzi Single Vineyard Papagiannakos Winery. Spit roasting wants spicy red wines with juicy, dense fruit, acidity and robust tannins. You can try a Nebbiolo like Don Giovanni Papargyriou Winery or a top Agiorgitiko like Monopati Aivalis Winery. If you consider that the absolute match for lamb is Xinomavro, then definitely choose Naoussa Kelesidi Winery! And then you will ask me, what about kokoretsi? You will probably eat kokoretsi as a starter so make sure you have a fine, juicy, soft and slightly earthy red like Ultreia Saint Jacques Raul Perez or Limnio Aslani Winery. If you are still not moved by the above but you are dying for grilled smoked sausages or mutton burgers accompanied by a smoked eggplant salad then put in your glass Rue de Soleil Jima Winery which has a spicy and smoky character, dense black fruit and impeccable structure that can put up with beasts.
In case you have or you are a vegetarian then play mushroom dishes will appear on the menu. They will go well with either a Pinot Noir like Barda or a rich Chardonnay like Santenay! In case a pea, asparagus, lemon, parsley and mascarpone pasta or risotto is served, choose Forster Pechstein Riesling 2015 Villa Wolf. It has killer acidity, magical complexity and fantastic structure.
Happy Easter!
Eva Markaki
Wine geek
