A late Easter in 2025 means a long wait for the bank holiday weekend but it has the great advantage that spring will have comfortably sprung by the time it arrives; the buds are bursting, blossom is in bloom and there’s already a tempting haul of seasonal produce to enhance the usual fare, from asparagus and wild garlic to Jersey Royal potatoes. So, what are the best wines for Easter pairing this year?
Falling on the Sunday after the first full moon that follows the spring equinox, whether early or late, Easter is inextricably linked with lamb. Few meats are more aromatic or evocative – I grew up on a farm and I vividly recall the smell of lamb roasting in the Aga, permeating the entire house and sending our spaniel into a spin – so we can say with certainty that a grape variety with subtlety is likely to lose out against lamb’s strident character.
Though it depends to an extent on the choice of cut, lamb is packed full of flavour, so it needs a wine of rival richness and depth, ideally punctuated by herbal notes and the suggestion of spice. Lamb’s juicy texture and high fat content calls for pronounced acidity, akin to taking a knife to butter, and don’t forget whatever it’s served with (usually mint sauce but wild garlic salsa verde also works well). In short, lamb demands thought, requiring a wine with a bit of attitude.
Retired Michelin-starred chef, Roger Jones, a proud Welshman, is an expert on his country’s signature dish, so how would he approach pairing? ‘Good lamb will be sweet and tender (so) I would consider a New World Pinot Noir, perhaps a fragrant example from Martinborough, or an old vine Australian Grenache from Barossa, or there’s Champagne: Rémi Krug once told me that his rosé should always be served with lamb.’
Lamb’s juicy texture and high fat content calls for pronounced acidity, akin to taking a knife to butter
With its distinctive character, lamb is not for everyone, so roast ham can be a great alternative at Easter, glazed with honey and wholegrain mustard. Barrel-matured Chardonnay would be an obvious match, combining crisp citrus acidity with plump, rich, stone fruits, the oak complementing the smokiness of the meat and the punch of the mustard.
A late Easter means early season asparagus. The English harvest gets properly underway around St George’s Day (April 23rd) but the first tender spears are always the best and while asparagus is generally considered capricious when it comes to wine pairing, I favour a fresh, lithe Sauvignon Blanc. Sancerre is the obvious choice but neighbouring Centre-Loire appellations, such as Menetou-Salon, Quincy or Reuilly, are great alternatives.
The other staple of the holiday weekend is, of course, the Easter egg but chocolate is notoriously challenging for wine. As a rule, darker examples with a higher cocoa content are the best bet: choose a plush, powerful red, perhaps an Australian Shiraz, or something fortified, like a tawny port. If you’re brave enough to try pairing milk chocolate then go for something with bags of complementary complexity, such as a rich, plummy Armagnac.
Here some of the best wines for Easter this year.
Seven of the best wines for Easter
Bollinger, PN VZ19
Pinot Noir is in Bollinger’s DNA and this, the fifth release in its PN series, designed to showcase the variety, is arguably the finest yet. Though VZ19, a reference to Verzenay from which around 40% of the fruit is sourced, might sound somewhat unromantic, this is a beautiful, focused, silky and supple Champagne, with just over half of the blend coming from the 2019 vintage, considered one of the best of recent times. There’s fleshy peach, blanched macadamias, and a scintillating streak of salinity that’s perfect for the pillowy cheesiness of Gruyère and wild garlic gougères.
£80, The Wine Society
Denis Jamain, ‘Les Pierres Plates’ Reuilly, 2023
An organically certified Sauvignon Blanc, named after the large, flat slabs of fossil-rich limestone dotted around the vineyard, from Reuilly, one of Sancerre’s much smaller neighbouring appellations. There’s citrus blossom, juicy apricot and fleshy white grapefruit, underpinned by a lithe, wet-pebble minerality, perfect for pairing with green asparagus, slathered in salty butter and cracked black pepper.
£21.75, Oxford Wine Company
Capensis, Silene Chardonnay, 2020
An IWSC-gold-medal-winning Chardonnay, the grapes selected from four vineyards across Stellenbosch, that spends 10 month in French oak, 30% of it new, and somehow tastes ‘golden’, courtesy of the beautiful ripe fruit. The nose enchants with yellow apple, peach skin and hints of mango, while the plump palate offers juicy stone fruits balanced by a vibrant lime acidity and a dash of salinity. A heavenly match for roasted ham and the delicate nuttiness of Jersey Royals.
£29.50, Fareham Wine Cellar
Gérard Bertrand, Clos de Temple, 2021
Famously the world’s most expensive rosé and it’s not from Provence. This blend of Cinsault, Viognier and Syrah comes from a beautiful hillside vineyard in Languedoc’s Haut Cabrières that has stolen Gérard Bertrand’s heart. The nose is delicate, with rose petals, mandarin and apricot skin, while the palate offers unfolding mineral complexity with a revitalising sense of energy. A gastronomic rosé that would be more than a match for leg of lamb and mint sauce.
£225, Harrods
Domaine Chanson, Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Les Vergelesses, 2018
From a small village tucked into the junction of two valleys nestling among the hills of the Côte de Beaune, close to the hill of Corton, a classically styled Burgundy, with nose of redcurrant, peony and foraged blackberry, there’s a satisfying crunch to the juicy fruit, subtle souk spice and a gorgeous silky texture, all of which combine to complement roast lamb with a wild garlic salsa verde.
£33, The Wine Society
Yangarra, King’s Wood Shiraz, 2020
As bold as brass, this rich, smooth and indulgent McLaren Vale Shiraz from pioneering biodynamic winemaker Peter Fraser showcases bright, brooding, dark fruit with the polish of well-integrated French oak. Though fillet steak might be the obvious pairing, the concentration is remarkable, making it a great option for a classy high-cocoa-content Easter egg.
£57, Vinvm
Janneau Armagnac VS Tradition
From the ancient cellars of Maison Janneau, constructed in 1851, a blend of eaux-de-vie from two regions, Bas-Armagnac and Tenarèze, double distilled and aged for a minimum of three years, offering plums, prunes and vanilla, with hints of red liquorice and cedar spice. A versatile Armagnac that would pair well with good quality milk or white chocolate.
£32.50, House of Townend
