Easter Wine

I hope the Easter Bunny teams up with Santa this year - he's definitely going to need a sleigh to maneuver himself through the snows of New England ! And speaking of rabbit, what will you have on your table this coming weekend? Lamb? Ham? Chinese food (for those who don't like to cook!).

I'll start this edition off with a little section I'll call the Easter Monkey's Easter Wines. In case you haven't heard, Attrezzi is proud to have worked with Susan Tuveson of Cacao Chocolates to create a new standard in Easter Treats - the Chocolate Easter Monkey! You may know Susan from her Chocolate and Wine Classes here at Attrezzi (see below for some upcoming classes!) We're lucky enough to have a selection of her eggs, bunnies, chocolate bars, and Chocolate Monkeys here for sale at the store so get them while you can! And though we love pairing our chocolates with wine, we're here to talk Easter. So let's get on with our Easter Wine Primer!

 The Chocolate Easter Monkey Speaks - an Easter Wine Primer

Folks like to make a big deal about Holiday wines, often digging deep into their pocketbooks to shell out significant cash, usually for a solid, well known name brand wine from a well awarded producer.  

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that! Holiday 's are special occasions and for some of us the only time 'the good stuff' comes out. So splurge and go for it! For you, the person who wants nothing for the best, we have a few suggestions for your holiday tables this year, available, of course, in the Attrezzi wine cellar!

 2004 Cakebread Merlot

2001 Duckhorn Howell Mountain Merlot

2003 Joseph Phelps Insignia

2002 Opus One

 But you may be asking yourself what to do if you don't fall into this category, if every day is a Holiday and you tend to drink affordable, solid wines that don't have the name recognition and the high price. You drink everyday, delicious wines and make a hobby out of seeking out the best...we can help you too! 

Let's begin by talking briefly about the traditional Easter Meal and what type of wines to look for.  For many of us, nothing says Easter like a glazed, roasted ham. Both salty and somewhat sweet, roasted and delicious, our friendly pork roast is pretty easy to pair with wine. But before you make your wine decisions, let's analyze what the Ham is all about. It's salty, often to the extreme; it's sometimes smoked, roasted, lean, and may have a sweet or mustard style glaze. These are not the deep red wine characteristics, and a wine with too much body, dryness, or tannins will simply taste bitter in the end. So even though you (and I) long for a rich Cabernet, this simply isn't the time or place, unless you have a nice big glass before (or after) your holiday meal. For ham we need to think Riesling, the noble white grape that races with natural acidity, stone fruit (like peaches and apricots) and cuts to the chase when confronted by the roasted ham. I would suggest leaning toward a dryer style Riesling but there is no harm choosing a sweeter style. Just try to make sure you get a fuller bodied, gently acidic Riesling to make the pairing work. And if Riesling isn’t your thing, any sparkling wine from Champagne to Prosecco or Cava will do the trick. Might I suggest the following:

 2005 ‘Red Slate’ Dry Rhine Riesling. ($30) This Riesling is so lively and rich it nearly takes your breath away. Somewhat unique in flavor and definitely on the dry side of the spectrum if you are into keeping it real on the dry side. Perfect for a ham with a neutral or herbed glaze. My top pick.

 2005 Schloss Walhausen Nahe ($23) or 2005 Schloss Saarstein ($30)  or 2005 WWE Dr. Thanisch Mosel Riesling ($22). Sure they’re a mouthful (no pun intended), but German Riesling take pride in being difficult. These are more traditional, semi-sweet Rieslings, but don’t be afraid of a little sweetness – the racing acidity and rich mineral flavors keep even the dry wine lovers satiated. Not to forget our ham accompaniment of course! These Rieslings were all hand picked and represent the best that can be found in our area. Trust us!

 A light, semi-dry red will also work (such as a Beaujolais Nouveau) or even a light pinot noir, but ham truly works best with the racy whites. Try it for yourself and see by offering two glasses at the table – one for red and one for white and see which works for you and your guests!

 And for those of you who choose a lamb dish, a nice rack from New Zealand or Colorado if you can find it, you can easily cross the line into red wine territory. Hooray! You’ll want to think somewhat lighter on the reds, generally because a rack often is well seasoned and flavored with herbs, Dijon mustards, or other spices, but a full bodied red isn’t out of the question here. We want a fruity, elegant wine, with a substantial backbone, so though you may have a bottle of the cheap stuff lying around, this is not the time. Lamb, when prepared well, is a rich and terrific meat, and needs a somewhat noble wine to stand up to it. The perfect choice: a pinot noir. Pinot has a fruit forward, lively acidity. The good ones have a deep rich flavor and sense of terroir (earth flavors) that complement the tangy gaminess of lamb. You don’t have to go expensive here, but you do need a wine with some body and complexity to really make your pairings shine. Which usually means more expensive, sorry! Don’t be afraid to cross into bigger red territory either: Merlot, Syrah/Shiraz, Bordeaux , or perhaps even a Cab – but be careful you do not compete for flavors by offering a wine that’s ‘too much’ for the lamb (the lamb will win out and make your wine seem, well, boring). Syrah might be your best bet as an all around crowd pleaser. So here are some terrific suggestions for you to mull over – makes your moth water thinking about it doesn’t it?  

2004 Patasy Pinot Noir. ($30, Wine Club $26) For the sub $30 pinot category, this wine is a sure winner. Lively, spicy, lean and tasty Burgundian style pinot from the Russian River . Not made in an overblown, overhyped Californian style. One of the best lean pinots for the value. Best suited for subtlety flavored lamb cuts.

 2004 Morgan ‘Double L’ Pinot Noir, California ($52) From an organic vineyard (if you are into that) The nose offers blueberry, strawberry, rose petal, leather and spice, with additional notes of tangy cranberry and mineral on the palate.  A splurge, but well worth it. Very Burgundian, very noble.

 2005 SineAnne Whistling Ridge Pinot Noir ($45, Wine Club $40) If you’re into deep, rich black fruit driven Pinot, wait till you try this knockout from the Pacific Northwest . Severely limited quantities of this wine was made and we wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t find it outside of Attrezzi. A cult wine for sure and worth every penny. Not for the faint of heart.

 2004 Moshin Lot 4 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley , California . ($45) If you are into subtle nuances and delicate expressions of terrior, try the Moshin. Pretty much the polar opposite of the SineAnn, this pinot is delicate, perfectly balanced and unforgettable.

 2004 Robert Sinskey Carneros California Pinot ($45) Of the miniscule 265 barrels of this wine produced, we recommend you get your hands on at least one. Big, fruity, and totally Californian, this wine leaves you totally satisfied with food, or all by itself.

 2003 Morgan Syrah Monterey , California . ($20) Perfectly smooth and vibrant this syrah is an excellent Lamb accompaniment. Rich with dark berry and chocolate nuances, it would be terrific with a port glazed leg of lamb.

 And for dessert I’ll make it easy. Toss the marshmallow peeps at your children and treat yourself to a delicious traditional dessert wine – a true Hungarian Tokaji. The 2000 Royal Tokaji Aszu ($40, $35 wine club) We have a few choice bottles of the red labeled nectar in stock. Honey rich, botryticised and decadent, this is the real deal. Serve mildly chilled in small aperitif glasses after the meal is complete and savor the memories of good food, good wine, and good friends and family.  

Enjoy,

Rich (and all your friends at Attrezzi)