Five things to drink this holiday weekend
While Easter weekend is not as much of a wine holiday as others during the year, it is nonetheless the start of spring in many ways. We still gather with friends and family for brunch or a nice holiday dinner. Here are five wines that we will have around our house that day, and ones I find to be enjoyable easy drinking and well priced for their respective categories.
Many of us will focus our celebration on a midday brunch or a lighter early dinner. I’m not sure how this tradition started for Easter Sunday, but it does lend itself to focusing on a bit more white wine and lighter-bodied varietals. At brunch, many of us will seek out sparkling cocktails like belinnis or mimosas. While many of us prefer mixed Champagne cocktails, there are still others who would prefer a glass of sparkling wine sans fruit juice. The non-vintage Veuve du Vernay Brut ($14, wine club price $12.60) is the perfect choice.
It is priced to please the crowd, and while not from the Champagne region it possesses all of the yummy characteristics of its more expensive “French relatives.” The bubbles are small and tight from true secondary bottle fermentation, the palate is crisp and dry, and the flavors are noted with citrus and light biscuit. It will be perfect, whether you blend it with peach nectar, or orange juice, or if you just drink it on its own.
Spring is coming and symbolized in many ways by Easter Sunday. Spring is also when the new crop of dry rosès release. One of the tougher-to-find ones is hitting the market just in time, the 2015 Seven Hills Rosè of Cabernet Franc ($17, wine club price $15.30). You would never guess that the varietal in this lovely pink wine is Cabernet Franc, it is light and crisp, with lovely strawberry flavors and is the perfect spring rosè. It is allocated each year, though, so don’t wait too long, it will be gone fast.
For a more elegant smaller gathering, I can’t help but recommend the 2014 Truchard Chardonnay ($35, wine club price $31.50). We just held a winemaker dinner and tasting with the Truchards and the Chardonnay was the best seller by a large factor. For good reason, the wine is lovely sleek and elegantly balanced. While the traditional butter and oak elements are there, they are held in check by great winemaking and the use of well farmed estate fruit. Pear and apple flavors dominate the palate, it is just a joy!
Growing up, we always had ham on Easter. Even today we will cook a fresh ham at home on that holiday, avoiding the salt-cured style from my youth. Rhone varietals do the best, with the rustic and gamey flavors of pork. The Airfield Syrah ($15, wine club price $13.50) is the perfect choice if you are having a crowd. The wine combines great cherry fruit flavors and aromatics, and the more savory side the grape naturally develops, the oft mentioned “bacon fat” aromatic we so love. This is a wine that could easily command a much higher price for the quality, but thankfully, it is priced well if you are having a crowd for dinner.
A couple of weeks ago we were shocked and thrilled when one of our distributors pulled out a bottle of wine from Jean Louis Chave and set it on the bar for us to try! Chave is a name that has never been available in this market, a Rhone producer of extraordinary wines that top $1,000 a bottle for some of their selections. We tried the 2012 Chave St. Joseph Offerus ($45, wine club price $40.50) that day and put it on the shelf immediately! This classic Rhone blend is stunning and will be the perfect choice for a smaller gathering on Easter (and of course a fresh rotisserie ham). The fruit is vibrant and cherry-noted, and the oak treatment shows perfect restraint, all combining for aromatic nirvana and a palate and finish that won't quit.
While these would be my favorites for the coming weekend, many more choices are always available for your Easter and spring celebrations. Stop by the shop to learn about all of the great wines that will pair with your gathering.
If there is a topic you would like to read about, or if you have questions on wine, you can email George@thedinnerpartyshop.com, or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d’Alene Press.
George Balling is co-owner (with his wife Mary Lancaster) of the dinner party, a wine and tabletop décor shop by Costco in Coeur d’Alene. George has also worked as a judge in many wine competitions, and his articles are published around the country. You can learn more about the dinner party at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com. You can get all of these articles and other great wine tips by friending us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop.