Spring is here… if it ever left. Last year’s brilliant late summer turned into a spectacular autumn followed by an amazingly moderate winter. And now, in early March, our spirits lift as the sky is bluer, the sun is higher, the birds are louder and the air smells fresher. Daylight savings time has kicked in, browsing deer are stepping gingerly around the emerging crocus and daffodils and we look forward to the spring holidays of Easter and Passover, for many a time of rebirth and new beginnings.
Spring cuisine fittingly emphasizes the fresh and new as well as traditional. Fresh asparagus and herbs, spring lamb, artisanal cheese and natural beef come to mind as well as the classic baked ham, brisket, roasted pork tenderloin, whitefish and sole with dill.
Our go-to site for the latest in seasonal food and wine is Food and Wine on-line. Click on the image or logo where top food and wine icons present contemporary Easter offerings using traditional ingredi
Adam Perry Lang , Gail Simmons, Marcy Goldman and other notables take a similar approach with traditional Passover dishes.
Click here or on the wine and matzoh image.
Spring wines, like the cuisine are transitional; moving from the complex toward the fruit-centered. For ham and seafood, we like un-oaked Chardonnay, Mâcon-Villages, Viognier or the medium-dry Rieslings (Kabinett or Spätlese) and Pinot Grigio.
Cabernet Sauvignon/Bordeaux classically pairs with lamb but Pinot Noir (Oregon, Santa Barbara, Paso Robles) and Côtes du Rhône may be more adaptable with other meats like brisket, roast and various sides.
Fiona Beckett is an award-winning food and drink writer, one of the UK’s leading experts on food and drink matching, wine columnist for The Guardian and the author of 22 books on food and wine. Check out her slant on Easter food and wine pairings.
About.com, in their typical fashion present a simple but classic guide to Easter food and wine pairings.
Wine blogger Matthew Horbund suggests wine pairings for Easter and Passover with an emphasis on Passover.
