The perfect wines to go with Easter fare

A combination of traditions and trying something new can ensure an enjoyable and interesting experience for you and your guests. Here are a few suggestions of wines available from The Wine Society, equally good for enjoyment at Easter or after Easter.

A refreshing glass of champagne is always welcome and invariably meets with approval, invoking a sense of well-being and luxury. Champagne Jules Camuset Brut NV is made for the Wine Society by the excellent Champagne house Boizel and is a firm favourite with many members. Delightfully light and fruity champagne, with a delicate elegance, soft, creamy and moreish. The high percentage of Pinot Meunier (55%) results in a fruitier style of champagne. Mirabelle plums and gala apples, with a citrus touch make a very appealing bubbly, which is eminently drinkable. £25 per bottle, currently on offer at six for the price of five. Perfect on its own at any time, or with smoked salmon and Mustard & Dill canapés.

If you’re an Easter traditionalist, Good Friday means fish and fish means white wine (most of the time). Another traditional favourite when it comes to dry white is Burgundy, from that king of white grape varieties – Chardonnay. Chablis is always a good match to many fish dishes, but has become a little pricey of late. A little more affordable are the wines from further south in the Maconnais region. Domaine Mallory et Benjamin Talmard Macon Villages 2021 is a lovely medium-bodied, unoaked chardonnay, with crispness and depth from ageing on the lees in tank prior to bottling. Perfect with a wild seabass fillet. £13.95

When it comes to meat on Easter Sunday, lamb is often top of the list. A number of red wines can match well, but for me, the ultimate pairing is a Pinot Noir. Burgundy again comes to mind, but a little experimentation ‘off piste’ can be rewarding. Perhaps more associated with white wines than red, Germany produces some first-class reds and characterful Pinot Noir. Spätburgunder Markgraferland Martin Wassmer 2019 has the typical light ruby colour of pinot noir, deliciously fruity on the palate, with ripe red cherries and fresh raspberry, with aromas of freshly grilled toast. Soft yet firm tannins give a full flavoured finish, with perfectly balanced acidity. £14.95

Another interestingly different Pinot Noir for your roast Southdowns’ lamb, is District 7 Pinot Noir 2020 from Monterey County in California. From sustainable vineyards grown with the influence of the Pacific Ocean, the wine is more deeply coloured, with mellow, smooth tannins and medium body. Good acidity from the cooling sea influence balances well with the ripe cherry and raspberry fruit flavours, with a touch of cranberry and vanilla. Silky, fresh with delicate oak treatment. £12.50.

And now for the eggs – chocolate ones, that is! Notoriously difficult for wine pairing, a sweet but not syrupy wine can work well. Generally less sweet on the palate than Sauternes, Monbazillac is a great choice, producing sweet white wines which still retain good acidity, which balances the slight bitterness of chocolate. Chateau Pech la Calevie 2020 set in the vineyards of the Dordogne is a luscious yet fresh sweet white, with notes of honey and freshly made marmalade. Great value at £13.95. Pair with chocolate tart and fresh sweet oranges.