Whether you have an unstoppable sweet tooth or prefer something more savoury, Francoise Peretti, Director of the Champagne Bureau UK, shares five mouth-watering wines to pair with traditional Easter staples over the Bank Holiday weekend
1 Best For: An Easter Aperitif
For a light and delicious way to start any Easter celebration, start with a Brut Non-Vintage Champagne and seafood canapés. Whether you choose smoked salmon blinis with crème fraiche and basil, divine Orkney scallops or dainty caviar toasts, this will be an ultimately uplifting combination.
2 Best For: Easter Brunch
The traditional choices for the occasion are Simnel cake, embellished with dried fruits and layered with marzipan, and of course, hot cross buns. A complex, elegant and refreshing style, Vintage Blanc de Blancs Champagne is the perfect pairing for these baked treats.
Made from 100% Chardonnay grapes and aged by law for more than 3 years in the cellar, it is often favoured for its wonderful brioche and pastry flavours, notes of dried fruits and toasted nuts – all of which will harmoniously mingle on the palate with these Easter treats.
3 Best For: Easter Sunday Roast Lamb
People typically reach for the red when choosing a wine to pair with red meat, but if you will be enjoying a hearty Sunday lamb roast, a Vintage Rosé Champagne pairs perfectly. The red-fruit aromas and full-bodied nature of this style are the perfect match to tangy, slow-cooked tender lamb.
4 Best For: Easter Roast Pork
If you are opting for a cut of pork, whether gammon, shoulder, or belly, choose a Vintage Blanc de Noirs Champagne. Meaning ‘white of black’, Blanc de Noirs is from 100% black grapes and has the structure and the characteristic champagne freshness that will cut through that rich fat.
5 Best For: The Ultimate Easter Egg Experience
For those who love a typical all-about-chocolate Easter, a Demi-sec Champagne is ideal. Anything dry would be too jarring but Demi-sec Champagne has a little more sugar in it and thus, pairs harmoniously with desserts. Do not be alarmed however, Demi-sec is not “sweet” per se and will still retain that unique freshness and acidity that Champagne is famous for.
