Selections for Easter from Dawn G. Land
Spring is not off to such a great start – more snow and
cold. With all the white, brown and
black of the past months, I’m in the mood for a little green. Asparagus, leeks, fresh peas and beans – the
ideas below are for a multi-course meal that celebrates the best of Spring
ingredients. Happy Easter!
Appetizer:
Spring Vegetables with Bagna Cauda or Bruschetta of Spring Vegetables
Both of these dishes include bright, zippy lemon, asparagus,
fava beans and garlic. With the anchovy
in the Bagna Cauda, I was thinking of a savory wine that would hold up to bold
flavors like Fiano or a structured Rose.
I like the idea of starting a meal with something bubbly and
refreshing. The bruschetta has very
straightforward flavors that would pair well with a grassy Sauvignon Blanc or a
citrusy Champagne or sparkling wine.
Suggestions: Mastroberardino Fiano di Avellino, Ca
del Bosco Franciacorte Brut Cuvee Prestige Rose for the Bagna Cauda or Seresin
Sauvignon Blanc, Piper Sonoma Brut for the Bruschetta.
Soup:
Creamy Asparagus Soup with Lemon Dumplings or Chilled
Zucchini Soup with Purslane
The creamy asparagus soup has bright, acidic dumplings to
balance. As a result, the wine pairing
can be either an oaked Chardonnay that has more of a citrus backbone than a
tropical fruit core or a pinot gris would also work wonderfully. The chilled zucchini soup is a vibrant bright
green punched up with lemon juice. A
great foil would be Albarino – as this is a bright, flavorful wine that can
carry a chilled soup with grassy purslane or spicy baby arugula notes. Gruner Veltliner is a very food friendly
varietal with notes of apricot and white pepper. It would add a lush,
spicy character that would pair very well with the zucchini.
Suggestions: Hartford Court “Four Hearts” Chardonnay,
Ponzi Pinot Gris for the Creamy Asparagus Soup or Do Ferreiro Albarino, Sohm
and Kracher Gruner Veltliner for the Chilled Zucchini Soup
Salad:
Spring Panzanella with Asparagus or Kohlrabi, Fennel, and
Blueberry
These are very disparate salads. The panzanella requires a racy wine to stand
up to the mustard greens, radish, asparagus and hard cooked eggs. I like the idea of a zippy rose or the
slightly petillant txakolina. Both wines
will act as a palate cleanser and marry well with the red onion. The kohlrabi salad has ginger, almonds,
shallot, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and white balsamic vinegar. A more delicate style of rose that has an
earthy character would pair very nicely as would a saline, mineral muscadet.
Suggestions: Miraval Cotes de Provence Rose
Pitt-Jolie Perrin, Ulacia Txakolina for the Panzanella or Domaines Ott Bandol and Domaine la Haute Fevrie Muscadet
Pasta:
Herb Fazzoletti with Asparagus or Parsnip Triangoli with
Aged Balsamic Vinegar
Parsley, Chives, Tarragon and Chervil marry with Burrata in
the Herb Fazzoletti. With the herbs and
the creaminess from the cheese, I like the idea of Godello or Riesling. Both would punch up the flavors of the pasta
sauce without overwhelming it. With a
little kick of acidity, the dish would meld seamlessly. The sweetness of parsnip and aged balsamic
marries with chives and parsley in this wonderful pasta dish. Chenin Blanc or Viognier will add complexity
and richness and will bring out the earthy sweetness of the parsnip.
Suggestions: A. Coroa Godello, Hugel Riesling Jubilee
for the Herb Fazzoletti or Eric Morgat Savennieres L’Eclos, E. Guigal Condrieu
for the Parsnip Triangoli
Fish:
Halibut with Mixed Beans or Salt Baked Branzino with Citrus,
Fennel and Herbs
Cranberry beans, fava beans, haricot verts, sugar snap peas
and baby peas in a buttery sauce – what could be better with halibut? The pairing for this would be a complex Pinot
Grigio (they do exist) or Chablis. The
wine should be clean and unoaked. You
definitely want acidity cutting through the buttery sauce. The branzino already has a fair amount of
acidity from the orange and lemon slices in the cavity. This dish should be paired with something
lightly oaked and toasty. Bordeaux blanc
or a Greek white would go very well with the branzino.
Suggestions: Jermann Pinot Grigio, William Fevre
Vaudesir Chablis for the Halibut or Les Hauts de Smith Blanc, Biblia Chora
Estate White for the Branzino
Meat:
Grilled Flank Steak with Corn, Tomato and Asparagus Salad
(and Morels!) or Boudin Blanc with Leeks & Mustard Sauce
The grilled steak has so much going on and the colors –
bright yellow, red and green are just the antidote necessary to a brutal
winter. This dish looks like summer on a
plate. Cabernet Franc will add a
pleasing bell peppery flavor to the bright salad while marrying very nicely
with the garlic-infused marinade on the steak.
A good Brunello will add spice and punch up the flavorful dish. The Boudin Blanc is taking the meal in a different
direction. Mashed potatoes, leeks and a
mustard sauce complement the sausage. I
like the idea of serving a lighter-style red wine – Pinot Noir or Gamay.
Suggestions: Wolffer Estate Cabernet Franc Caya, La
Gerla Brunello di Montalcino with the steak or Michel Lafarge Volnay Vendanges
Selectionnees, Domaine de Prion Fleurie “La Madone” for the Boudin Blanc
Dessert:
Pistachio Meringues with Lemon Cream and Berries or Lemon,
Poppy and Chevre Cheesecakes with Rhubarb
The meringues have a slight green color from the pistachios
and make a perfect ending to an already green meal. I like keeping the same flavors throughout a
meal and having a running theme. It
makes buying wine easier – since one wine would likely work with every
dish. The meringues feature a lemon
cream with barriers. Since this is a
sweet/sour dessert, I would pair it with a New World take on Sauternes or a
complex, sweet sherry. The individual
cheesecakes with the lemon and rhubarb will need a Tokaji or and Ice wine to
complement the chevre.
Suggestions: Dolce, Lustau Solera Reserve East India
for the Pavlova or Royal Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos “Red Label”, Inniskillin
Riesling Ice Wine for the cheesecakes
Philip S. Kampe
philip.kampe@thewinehub.com
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