Wine Pairings for Easter Dinner

Whether you are making an appetizer tray along with your entree and dessert, you will find the perfect wine for whatever you are serving. Let's start with the appetizers.

If you are serving a simple cheese platter you will most likely have a variety of hard, semi-hard and soft cheese selections. Serve a nice, fruity, buttery Chardonnay with cheeses like provolone, Gruyere, a mild Cheddar and goat cheeses. While Chardonnay is the first choice, these cheeses are best served with a white wine as are Monterey jack, Gouda, Gorgonzola and boursin. Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc or an Asti Spumante would all be safe choices. For a strong Cheddar, Brie, Camembert, Havarti or muenster choose a bold red wine such as a Cabernet Sauvignon or red Zinfandel. A Merlot or Pinot Noir may be too light for these selections.

The old rule of red wine with meats and white wine with poultry and seafood has been thrown out the window. The new rule is drink what you enjoy. For a nice roast chicken that doesn't have a lot of competing seasonings choose a light wine, either red or white, like a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio for a white or a Pinot Noir or Merlot for a red wine. If you are serving ham your wine selection could be challenging. Ham has a light, sweet flavor and a heavy wine will mask the wonderful flavor of ham. Red wine lovers will be pleased with a light Pinot Noir selection that will compliment the sweetness of the ham. A white wine compliment would be a German Gewurztraminer that is a bit on the sweet and spicy side. The classic wine pairing for lamb would be Pinot Noir. The subtle berry flavors of the Pinot Noir work beautifully with the gentle flavors of lamb. If the lamb involves a heavy amount of spices or a rich sauce, you can step up the wine selection by choosing a Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. If roast beef or prime rib is on you menu, the classic pairing is a Cabernet Sauvignon. For a really full bodied choice go with a red Zinfandel. This would be a good choice for more experienced wine drinkers.

Desserts usually require a sweet wine like a Moscato, Champagne or sparkling wine. Sparkling wines encompass Champagne, Prosecco, California Sparkling Wines among others. These selections pair beautifully with chocolate but the best chocolate pairing I have ever found is a red sparking wine from Italy called Rosa Regale. It is produced in Italy by Banfi Vintners. From a flourless chocolate torte to chocolate dipped strawberries this is a great choice. Port is also another choice for chocolate. A light tawny port pairs well with anything milk chocolate while you should choose a rich, ruby port for a dark chocolate dessert. This might be a new taste for your guests but one they will most likely enjoy.

Now for the really hard part. How much wine do you need to purchase? Well, it all depends on the number of people you are serving. A typical serving is 4 ounces to 6 ounces of wine. If you are using a 750 milliliter bottle, you can expect to get approximately 5 servings from a bottle. If you are serving a 1.5 liter bottle, serving the same ounces of wine per serving, you can expect approximately 10 servings per bottle. When serving dessert wines or splits of champagne, which usually come in smaller sizes of 375 milliliters or 500 milliliters, your serving size will be smaller, because of the sweetness of these wines. A dessert wine or champagne serving size is 2 to 3 ounces and you can expect approximately 5 servings from a 375 milliliter bottle. For a port that may come in a 500 milliliter bottle, serve a 3 to 4 ounce serving and expect approximately 5 servings. You can presume guests will have 1 to 2 glasses with dinner and probably only 1 with your appetizer or dessert.

Serve wines with confidence for all your parities with these pairing choices. Once you've tasted a variety of wines with a variety of dishes, your confidence will grow. Cheers!