Wondering what to have with your Easter Dinner later this week? Of course it depends on what you plan on having. I seem to hear ham is often served, and I just received a query from the in-laws as they are having lamb. Of course, lamb is a light, red meat and I certainly would expect to have a red wine with it. At first, I am thinking Pinot Noir and its cherry, fruitiness or maybe Sangiovese, with its lighter earthy tones. Lamb is younger and the meat is more tender and lighter, so I am not sure I want to potentially overpower it with a big Cabernet from California. However, I could see where a Bordeaux blend could work as well.
Here’s a good article that is closer to my tastes, though I might think the Rioja’s Tempranillo could potentially be too much for the lamb, for the same reasons stated above.
I further push my thought on the lighter reds when I learn that ham is also on the menu. Pork, the other white meat, is a little more versatile from what I understand, and I can even expect to have a white wine with it. But, since I would never have white with the lamb, let’s stick with the reds. Though we tend to be partial to the Pinot’s of Oregon these days, don’t be afraid to check out those from the Cote d’Or (Cote de Beaune or Cotes de Nuits) of Burgundy, where you can get something more of a “traditional” Pinot Noir like the Easter holiday itself.
Here are some quick thoughts on these types of wines that we have liked (with links to tasting notes if we have them), but don’t be shy in branching out on your own.
2005 Belle Glos Pinot Noir Las Alturas Vineyard – Monterey County - Fruit-forward, fresh meat nose, fruity, smooth, musty, wet forest floor, spice
2005 Chateau du Glana - a Bordeaux we had recently at a Bordeaux Madness tasting. This was considered a “value” wine at approx. $20-30 when compared to the Ch. Margaux and Ch. Palmer that were also on the list, but made it to the final four in our brackets, surprisingly.
You can’t go wrong with Susy’s recommendations in the article either (except maybe that Rioja, but that’s just me) or simply ask your friendly wine store guy/gal for something along these lines and I’m sure they’ll help you out.
Good question and nice post as always.
In general I won’t recommend tempranillo either. But I actually had a Rioja last night that would not overpower the lamb. I agree with the winemaker’s notes from http://jerichowine.com/item.asp?PID=743. Definite cherry that makes this wine drink more like a Pinot than the typical tempranillo-based red. Kroger/Costco/Total sell this for around $10-$12.
An Oregon Pinot would definitely be a great choice. Bordeaux still scares the crap out of me with its inconsistency and cost. How you do you think a Côtes du Rhône/Châteauneuf-du-Pape would pair ?
This article http://winemonger.com/catalog/winemonger-talk/easter-wine-pairing/2006/03/23/ recommends Riesling with ham and St.Laurent(new one to me) with lamb.
Very cool. I am sure it depends on the “style” and how they make the wine, regarding the Rioja. Wines from the southern Rhone are going to be mostly Grenache, so I might be worried about the alcohol tendencies in those wines. But, again, I am sure you could find some, like the Rioja, that might be blended in a way that works.
Thanks for the other articles, this should definitely help Jennifer and family make some well-informed decisions.