Mar. 31 Wine Picks: Food-Friendly Easter Feasts Wines

The next release of wines from LCBO Vintages is on the March 31 and the main feature in this release is on food-friendly wines that go well with Easter feasts.

Among these wines, the Auntsfield Sauvignon Blanc will pair nicely with seafood and light salads, while the off-dry Riesling Spätlese will pair nicely with spicy Asian dishes.

In reds, there are three French wines that are worth a look, with the Grenache-blended Hecht & Bannier that offers impeccable value and is my top pick from the entire release. Also from France, we have two Bordeaux blends - from the great 2009 vintage is the Haut-Surget, and the 2008 La Bourrée. From Australia, we have the Salmagundi which is blended with more than half Shiraz, followed by 4 other grapes.

If you're looking for something sweet, then you will enjoy the Elysium Muscat from California. Want to pop something sweet for a celebration? Go for the sweet Moscato d'Asti, which typically goes over quite well in my circles. A very nice summer patio sipper is the Rosé from our local Tawse Winery. Enjoy my picks for the week!


Red Wine:

• ZUCCARDI Q MALBEC 2009 - Mendoza, Argentina (#723478) (XD) - $19.95
• HECHT & BANNIER CÔTES DU ROUSSILLON-VILLAGES 2008 - AC, Midi, France (#142802) (XD) - $22.95
• GOTHAM OLD VINE SALMAGUNDI 2008 - Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia (#265942) (XD) - $29.95
• GÉRARD BERTRAND MINERVOIS SYRAH/GRENACHE 2009 - AP, Midi, France (#952804) (XD) - $15.95
• CHÂTEAU HAUT-SURGET 2009 - AC Lalande-de-Pomerol, Bordeaux, France (#268680) (XD) - $24.95
• CHÂTEAU LA BOURRÉE 2008 - AC Côtes de Bordeaux, Castillon, Bordeaux, France (#138800) (D) - $17.95
• TYRRELL’S RUFUS STONE SHIRAZ 2009 - Heathcote, Victoria, Australia (#091488) (D) - $19.95

White Wine:

• PETER LEHMANN LAYERS WHITE 2010 - Adelaide, South Australia, Australia (#167171) (XD) - $15.95
• STUDERT-PRÜM WEHLENER SONNENUHR RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2007 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#114777) (M) - $17.95
• JOSEPH CATTIN GEWURZTRAMINER HATSCHBOURG 2009 - AC Alsace Grand Cru, France (#259770) (D) - $19.95
• VINTAGE INK RITE OF PASSAGE CHARDONNAY 2010 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#245712) (D) - $16.95
• AUNTSFIELD ESTATE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2010 - Southern Valleys, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#663286) (XD) - $19.95

Rosé Wine:

• TAWSE SKETCHES OF NIAGARA ROSÉ 2011 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#172643) (D) - $15.95

Dessert Wine:

• QUADY ELYSIUM BLACK MUSCAT 2010 - California, USA (#276840) (S) (375 mL) - $14.95

Sparkling Wine:

• BOERI RIBOTA MOSCATO D’ASTI 2010 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#184978) (S) - $15.95
• CAVE SPRING CSV BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT Méthode Traditionnelle 2004 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#237198) (XD) - $39.95

All the wines from this release can be found here.