A classic holiday menu provides a welcome opportunity to get creative when it comes to the beverages. We’ve gone ahead and paired traditional Easter foods with Pennsylvania wines, which you can get by ordering online or picking up curbside at your favorite winery. It’s a win-win: Introduce something delicious to your meal AND support local businesses.
Hot Cross Buns paired with Sparkling Vidal Blanc
These sweet yeasted rolls, dotted with dried fruit and topped with icing, will be a welcome addition to your Easter lunch/brunch spread. Another welcome addition: a bottle of dry, effervescent Vidal Blanc. Crisp and invigorating, this sparkling wine will bring the spirit of celebration and allow the sweetness of the buns to shine.
Braised Lamb Shanks with Lentils and Tomato Sauce paired with Pinot Noir
Lamb on the table is a harbinger of spring and there are about a million ways to prepare it, from grilled chops to braised shoulder to formal roasted rack. But we’re partial to this easy, homestyle dish that can be adjusted for any number of eaters. Just cook up a stew of aromatics, lentils, and canned tomatoes in a Dutch oven. Then add the shanks and braise the whole thing in the oven until the meat falls off the bone. Pick a lighter red like Pinot Noir with a big dose of earthiness to underline the gamey-ness, acid, and depth of the dish.
Honey-baked Ham paired with Riesling
Ham today! Ham sandwiches tomorrow! Ham and eggs forever! A honey-baked ham is a gift that keeps on giving and giving and giving, providing enough sustenance to last for eight nights — wait, we might be mixing up the holidays. No matter how many mouths you’re feeding, there’s no reason to forgo this tradition. Hey, you can even freeze ham cubes for your future soup needs. We like a wine with a combination of residual sweetness and high acidity here. Try an off-dry Riesling. The cold white will really make the salt and sugar of the ham sing.
Spring Vegetable Quiche paired with Sauvignon Blanc
Eggs are another ingredient synonymous with Easter. Pick up some vegetables that say spring — asparagus, ramps, peas, new potatoes — and toss them into a rich mixture of eggs and cream. If you’ve never made pastry from scratch, give it a go (though the pie shells from the supermarket are A-OK, too). Bring out the grassy notes of the produce with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc; its high acidity will also activate the taste buds, doing the same thing that a squirt of lemon does to cooked veggies.
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