Local wine merchants suggest accompaniments for your traditional Easter meal
March 21, 2008
by Susie Pender
So what goes well with spring lamb or fresh ham, typical staples of an Easter feast? Or perhaps you’re serving turkey in a break with tradition? We asked Dodd’s Wine Shop of Millwood, Hill Top Wines and Spirits at the top of King Street and Chappaqua Wine and Spirits in downtown Chappaqua for their suggestions. They came up with myriad choices for the discerning palates of our readers .
Suggestions from Dodd’s Wine Shop in Millwood
Dodd Farber in Millwood had two reds he recommends to accompany spring lamb. Chateau Pesquie Cote du Ventoux 2004 from the Rhone Valley in France for $13.99 is “vibrant, full-bodied and lush, deep ruby/purple with notes of truffle, tar, blackberry and cassis.” From Italy for $21.99, he suggests Fattoria del Cerro Vino Nobile de Montepulciano 2004, which has “superb weight on the palate in a riper style with excellent length and finessed tannins.”
He suggests that you could serve either red or white with fresh ham. The Terre Andia Pinot Noir Reserva 2006 from Chile “shows a complex combination of black cherry and raspberry aromas, rose petals and violets, with a soft touch of vanilla” for $13.99. From Italy, the Castello del Poggio Barbera d’Asti 2004 for $13.99 is “lively and energetic, with fresh, vibrant fruit and floral flavors.” As for whites, the Reisling from Germany for $21.99 that he suggests, S. A Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Reisling Kabinett 2004, offers “complex aromas with flavors of black currant, violet, lime and mineral.” The $14.99 Beringer Alluvium 2006 from Napa County, California, is a white with “great purity of fruit, with rich, vibrant tangerine, nectarine and subtle pear shadings that finishes with a long, clean after taste.”
If you’re breaking with tradition and serving turkey for Sunday dinner, he recommends a $19.99 medium-bodied white from Washington State, Bele Pente Pinot Gris 2006, that “displays complex aromas of spices, straw, dried honey and white flowers with fresh waves of plush yellow fruits.” Or you could go with a full-bodied and powerful Zinfandel, Klinker Brick Zinfandel 2005, for $17.99 from Lodi County, California. “This dense ruby/purple-colored red wine reveals a briery, crushed berry-scented nose with earth in the background, with sweet tannin and well-integrated acidity.”
Suggestions from Hill Top Wines and Spirits at 423 King Street
Peter Costello, the owner of Hill Top, also recommends Reislings to pair with fresh ham: Kiona Reisling 2006 from Washington State for $13.99 or Prejean Reisling 2006 for $15.99 from New York State. For something a little different, he suggests a Provence Rose from Domaine Sorin, which is organically grown in France and retails for $18.99.
For leg of lamb or ham, he would suggest a nice pinot noir. If you prefer the old world style that has a less forward fruit and is earthier and drier, he recommends Freja 2006 from Oregon for $25.79. If your preference runs to slightly fruitier pinot noirs, Angeline “Russian River” from California for $21.79 is a good idea.
Suggestions from Chappaqua Wine and Spirits in downtown Chappaqua
Kirk Sprenger, the owner of Chappaqua Wine, suggests that ham is best paired with a dry to slightly sweet Reisling because “the ever so slight sweetness will take the salty edge off the ham, somewhat in the same way that a brown sugar glaze on a ham takes the salt away.” He recommends Covey Run Reisling 2006 from Washington State for $11.99. In the alternative, he suggests a delicate Chardonnay that’s not too heavy or oaky such as Edna Valley Chardonnay 2006 from San Luis Obispo in California for $18.00.
For spring lamb, “Zinfandel is always a good choice,” Sprenger says, “because it tends to have a nice full body that will stand up to more gamey meat, especially if it is prepared with garlic or mint.” He recommends Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel 2006 from Lodi County, California for $14.00 or a full-bodied red such as an Amarone like Musella 2003 from the Piedmont district of Italy for $54.99.
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