7 Wines You Need To Order For Easter Dinner
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1. La Marca Prosecco - Veneto, Italy
Everybody knows that bubbly is the perfect start to every occasion. And there’s nothing better than a little fizz to stoke your appetite and your excitement for Auntie Barb’s delectable sweet potatoes, while also making her questionable brussels sprouts a little more palatable. Think of La Marca Prosecco as the “Friends” of wine: unadulterated comfort, joy, and laughter. Light, fresh flavour. Dry enough for the Pinot Grigio crowd, and just enough green apple & juicy peach character to please those who like to keep things fruit-forward. While great on its own, La Marca ain’t afraid of being tossed into the foam pit as a cocktail mixer, either. Try it with a shot of Grand Marnier or your favourite liqueur. Or if you need it in the morning, add a splash of OJ and get the mimosa party started.
Reg. Price: $24.90
Sale Price: $22.40
2. Road 13 Honest John’s White - Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Even though we’re still freezing our *expletives* off, there’s nothing like a B.C. “fake spring” in early April paired with a bottle of wine that tastes like a full harvest’s cornucopia of summer orchard fruit to stoke our excitement for warmer weather to come. The Honest John’s White, a handcrafted blend of Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Orange Muscat, was essentially made to remind us what a summer’s day in August smells like, with orchards and vineyards in full bloom and that sweet, sun-drenched scent of fruit and flowers lingering in the air…naturally accompanied by a well-chilled glass of wine. Excellent with the variety of flavours that come with turkey dinner, expect a medium-bodied, fruit-filled white that will give you all the hope you need to make it through winter AND dinner with the in-laws.
Reg. Price: $21.85
Sale Price: $14.95
3. Mission Hill Reserve Chardonnay - Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
When a wine wins “Best in the World”, there’s usually a reason for it. The Mission Hill Reserve Chardonnay, which arguably put Canadian wine on the map way back when in 1992 when it took home top honours internationally is still, as Gordon Ramsay might say, f***ing delicious. Fans of ripe, tropical, buttery California Chardonnay should definitely apply here. Nothing holds up to a mouthful of mashed potatoes & gravy better than Chardonnay, and when speaking in terms of value-for-quality, there are few substitutes for this baby. They say that you become the things you surround yourself with, so why not surround yourself with the best in the world?
Reg. Price: $26.90
Sale Price: $24.15
4. Kim Crawford Pinot Noir - New Zealand
A great French chef once told us that Pinot Noir was the ideal wine to pair with anything that has wings. We took that to heart, and when it comes to Pinot Noir, there is simply no country in the world that is offering greater value or consistency at the moment than our friends way down in New Zealand. Fresh berries. A little spice. Umami (not “yo mama”) flavours. Silky. And most of all, absolutely crushable. None of those tannins that dry your mouth out and make you feel like a stoned teenager. All of those things that make you go “YUM!”. And for those history buffs in the room, we’ve got news for you: Kim Crawford is a man. Fortunately, even that piece of information will surely not be as mind-blowing as the wine. Order lots. It has a tendency to evaporate.
Reg. Price: $31.00
Sale Price: $26.15
5. Meiomi Pinot Noir - California
Is that a Pinot in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me? For fans of BIG Pinot, Meiomi is the go-to of all go-to’s. Unapologetically sizable, smooth, and bursting with ripe fruit flavour, this wine was made for a perfectly roasted bird smothered in sweet yams and cranberry sauce. Now that we’ve said that, we’re probably taking the rest of the day off, buying a case of Meiomi Pinot Noir, and roasting a turkey with some yams and cranberry sauce. And it’s only Tuesday. Thank goodness we can “work from home”.
Price: $34.60
6. Mission Hill Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Despite the so-called “rules” of food & wine pairing, the one rule we live by is that any delicious wine and any delicious food served together ultimately equals delicious. So let’s not sweat the geek-speak. If full-bodied, dense red wine is what keeps your juices flowing, then Mission Hill’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is for you. Black fruit. Cigar box. Singed herbs. Matured in oak. Nothing cures the stress of screaming children and rambling relatives (which is worse?) faster than a glass of serious red wine. Fortunately, Mission Hill has delivered the perfect remedy. Once the dishes are done and the toddlers are asleep, unwind with this. You’re gonna need it.
Reg. Price: $37.20
Sale Price: $34.15
7. J. Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon - Paso Robles, California
Jerry Springer. Jerry Seinfeld. Jerry Lewis. These are some of the greatest Jerry’s of our generation, but there’s one that stands above all of them: Jerry Lohr. If you want to feel what it’s like to have created one of the most iconic and recognizable wines built to be shared around the North American dinner table, all you have to do is pick up a bottle of this plush Cabernet and pop the cork. Big & bad? Check. Smooth as hell? Check. Guaranteed to impress? Check. Sprinkling a few bottles of J. Lohr around the dinner table at Easter is the host’s way of saying they love you without listening to more of your boring stories from “back in the day”. When you absolutely, positively, unequivocally have to please every guest in your home, wanted or unwanted, accept no substitute. And be sure to save some for yourself.
Price: $29.95