On the Wine Side - Wines for Easter Fri, Apr 11, 25 Here comes Peter Cottontail! Yes, it's Easter on April 20, and let's hope the sun shines and the temperatures rise!This is one of the year's most wine-friendly holidays, and here are some suggestions. We just tasted the Rombauer Chardonnay in a special class presented by representatives from the winery, and wow is it yummy. This high-scoring classic Chard is made with fruit grown in Carneros, California. Part of its fermentation process is to spend nine months in oak on the lees (dead yeast cells), where it's regularly stirred so that the wine is getting the maximum exposure to the falvore notes lees can give - notes of brioche that enhance the overall creamy vanilla and butter notes in this supple, balanced wine. It would pair perfectly with ham and potatoes or mac-and-cheese. Pinot Noir is a wonderful wine for Easter, and for spring in general. It's a great "transition" wine away from the bigger reds we tend to enjoy in colder weather. Pinot Noir has plenty of big flavor notes, but it typically shines with acidity, which makes it bright and fresh on your palate. Pinot Noir is very food-friendly, too. It pairs well with ham or pork, and also with lamb and even pasta dishes. We just got the Gearbox Pinot Noir back in stock, and I'm happy to see it's clearly labeled with its 90 Point Score from Wine Enthusiast. What a great Green Tag bargain! If you like a leaner style Pinot from Oregon, try the Firesteed. It was poured at a wine class recently and enjoyed for its fruit notes ranging from raspberry to red currant and a lingering spiciness on the finish. You'll find some "Wine Class Favorites" displayed by our information desk toward the front of the store. There are also some bottles celebrating the upcoming Kentucky Derby (just a few weeks away), and a field of food-friendly roses. A rose is another great choice for Easter. The pale pink is in keeping with the pastels on display in Easter decorations, but more importantly, this wine's ability to be a lively white-style wine that combines the red-fruit notes of a red wine make it really food-friendly. You never have to worry about a rose being the wrong choice from a range of appetizers to seafood to lean white meats to gamey meats to steaks. A suggestion? The newly arrived Chateau D'Haurets Bordeaux Rose. Here's a store change to take note of: We are asked more and more about low-carb, low-cal, and zero sugar wines - wines we describe as "lifestyle" wines. It turns out there are quite a few choices in this category. Until now they have been stocked in with the other wines of whatever varietal they're made from - Chardonnay, for example. Recently, we decided it would be helpful to bring these wines together in a more centralized spot. We selected the rack across from the Organic wines in the middle of the store. Look there for some favorite brands like Life Vine, Sunny with a Chance of Flowers, FitVine, Cupcake, Liquid Light and even Chateau Ste. Michelle. Stay tuned for more new On the Wine Side, and as always, we're happy to talk to you about choosing wines to make you happy. That's the point. Cheers! By Dominique De Vito
