EASTER WINES
Are you already thinking about how to pack your bags? Or maybe you’ll stay here and just want to stock up on Easter wines in advance? Whatever you do, do this first: Read below to find out what are the best wines for all the Easter dishes and make sure you act early this year! So you can enjoy your Easter table the way you deserve!
The first festive dinner takes place on Holy Saturday after the Resurrection and includes the magiritsa stew, which is one of the most difficult dishes of the day because it starts with the detailed cooking preparation (if you are even a little hypochondriac you know exactly what I mean) and ends with its taste. Strong fatty elements, with a very special meaty feel, rich in egg-lemon sauce, and herbs, raise the degree of difficulty in finding the right wine. It will match one with intense fruit, an equally full and oily body, and satisfactory acidity, which will bring balance. It will pair well with a wine that has intense fruit, a similarly full and rich body, and satisfying acidity to bring balance. The Blanc des Coteaux Cuvee Amphora from Thymiopoulos Vineyards has been aged in both barrel and amphora, giving it a rich body and crisp acidity, perfectly balancing the dish! If the Magiritsa is stewed with plenty of herbs and onions, opt for a Moschopolis 8 from Moschopolis Winery.
And Easter Sunday dawns and from very early, the coals catch fire. We skip breakfast this day and instead of scrambled eggs, the easter red ones take place which are also the second most difficult dish of the day. Immediately after the coffee you can consume a sparkling Brut Cuvee Speciale from the Karanika Estate, which is the best Greek sparkling wine and goes perfectly with the edesma (even in the egg salad version) and it will be the start of the fun!
The table will also feature many other appetizers to pass the time while the lamb slowly comes off the spit, including cheese varieties, fresh green salads, and various dips like tzatziki, Russian salad, and maybe even some surf and turf tapas, which are always a safe choice for all tastes. The most reliable pairing for these would be an aromatic white wine with vibrant freshness, herbaceous notes, fruit, and a refreshing acidity. I recommend the Wild Rock Sauvignon Blanc from the iconic Craggy Range Winery and the Muscat Blanc Sec Natur-e from Tetramythos Winery, while a rosé option like The Beach from the legendary Château d'Esclans would also be perfect.
For richer, buttery appetizers like quiche Lorraine, traditional pies (cheese pies, macaroni pies), or oven-baked and gratin potatoes, the best pairing is a white wine with a subtle, buttery texture and moderate acidity, such as the Pouilly-Fuissé 2021 by Albert Bichot. Alternatively, a medium-bodied red with soft tannins would also work well, especially if it's chilled for about half an hour in the fridge to make it truly delightful. This would be the Lulu from The Knack Project.
And finally, let's get into the roast! Gardoumpakia, sausages, kokoretsi, lambs, goats.
Meaty appetizers like kokoretsi and gardoubakia are somewhat similar in character to magiritsa, but the meat ultimately creates a different flavor profile, requiring wines that are rich in fruit, floral notes, and soft tannins, such as the Chianti DOCG 2023 from Ricasoli. I also recommend the highly gastronomic Vigne Sauvage Pet Nat from Pierre and Antoin, or a robust Aiora Mavrotragano Amphora 2023 from Moschopolis Winery. For grilled sausages, a full-bodied and peppery wine like the Lost Hellanico 2016 from Kitrvs Estate would be perfect!
And with joy, we say goodbye to the delicious, rustic appetizers to make way for the lamb and goat! If you choose to roast the lamb on a spit, it should be paired with crisp acidity and full body, and it’s the perfect opportunity to open an aged wine, such as the Le Vigneron Grec from Papargyriou Estate. Spit-roasted goat will pair best with a spicy, rich wine with juicy fruit and sharp acidity, such as Cyrus One from La Tour Melas. If you opt to roast it in parchment paper, the lamb with plenty of lemon and herbs should be paired with the Sheriff Fatman 2024 from Hatzakis Winery in Syros, and you won’t go wrong (!), while the goat with peppers and tomatoes calls for a velvety red with concentrated fruit and noticeable acidity. I recommend the Xerico 2019 from Tentenublo Wines.
These are just some of the options available, but you can find many more here:
Christina Tsogka
