Easter celebration menus range from morning brunches and lavish buffets to formal sit-down meals and even the casual “just desserts” egg hunts. Regardless of the setting there’s a wine to fit almost any way your family and friends are celebrating Easter together.
BRUNCH
The charm of an Easter brunch lies in its leisurely approach in bridging the festive activities from a late breakfast to well past lunch. If you are serving pastries and fruits, Champagne or a light white wine would be ideal, but egg casseroles, frittatas or tarts will require a more full-bodied white or rose. (Cava, California sparkling, Champagne, pinot grigio, rose, sauvignon blanc, light-bodied chardonnay.)
THE VALUE
- 2013 Sawbuck Chardonnay, California (about $12 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2013 Alta Maria Sauvignon Blanc, California (about $22 retail)
MULTI-COURSE MEALS
Seated lunches or dinners are generally a more intimate setting but also an opportunity to showcase several wines with your menu courses. Many will start with a light salad that could be paired with a light-bodied pinot gris. If the traditional Easter ham will be the showcase of the main course, light reds without overpowering tannins or whites without searing acidity are natural pairings for hams glazed with sweetness, spice and salt. (Pinot noir, merlot, tempranillo, beaujolais, gruner veltliner, chenin blanc, pinot gris.)
THE VALUE
- 2014 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc, California (about $15 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2012 Native 9 Pinot Noir, California (about $75 retail)
BUFFET/FAMILY STYLE
Buffet style dining still offers the least amount of stress and easiest way to serve guests. And, you must admit, there’s something about the table laden with dishes that always creates a feeling of celebration. Serve a wine with the ability to stand up to the assortment of textures and tastes. (Rose, merlot, pinot noir, gewurztraminer, riesling.)
THE VALUE
- 2014 Montes Classic Merlot, Chile (about $13 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2014 Trimbach Gewurztraminer, France (about $30 retail)
JUST DESSERTS
Compared to all entertaining options for Easter, simply having family and friends in your home for just the celebration of the traditional Easter egg hunt is the most personal and casual of options. This menu selection is simple and the focus is mainly on just a few desserts and a versatile wine pairing. Of course, even chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chicks have a wine pairing. But for those looking for a more refined chocolate match, keep in mind lighter chocolates pair best with light-bodied wines while full-bodied wines are best with robust darker chocolates. For example, the delicate moscato d’Asti competes perfectly with the mellow butter flavors in many white chocolates, while cabernet sauvignon blends to perfection with full-bodied dark chocolate. (Moscato d’Asti, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, port.)
THE VALUE
- 2015 Jacobs Creek Moscato, Australia (about $11 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2015 Marco Negri Moscato d’Asti, Italy (about $20 retail)