Celebrate Easter With These Delightful Drinks
Did some bunny mention Easter? It feels a little like Easter has snuck up on us this year. If you’re scrabbling to sort out Easter lunch and festivities, let us take care of the beverage recommendations with these delightful drinks to cover all occasions.
Kick off with Procecco. Bubbles are the perfect way to start a long lunch. Then move onto wine for the main meal. Not sure what to have with your baked ham? We have a very special Semillon suggestion. Planning on fish for Good Friday? We suggest a lovely aromatic Viognier. Easter Sunday red wine drinkers will love the earthy Sangiovese from Montepulciano that pairs perfectly with roast lamb. We’ve discovered a unique delicious gin, that you can sip on its own or get creative and mix into cocktails. And for those who aren’t drinking alcohol, we have just the beverage with vinous-like qualities.
Wines
Kick off your Easter lunch with some bubbles!
Boutique winery Mino & Co Wines (established in 1997) is located in Hanwood, a small village in the Riverina region of NSW. The Guglielmino family share their Italian heritage through a selection of wine styles, adopting innovative techniques amongst traditional winemaking methods passed down through many generations.
This sparkling is extra dry in style, with a crisp fresh palate of honeydew and green apples. Grapes are sourced from King Valley, Victoria.
Pairing Guide: Prosecco is a great starter to enjoy with a cheese platter or antipasto.
RRP: $28 available direct at >> minoandco.com.au/
2. Briar Ridge Single Vineyard Dairy Hill Semillon 2023
Located in the heart of Hunter Valley wine country, Briar Ridge Vineyard is in Mount View, an area reminiscent of the wine growing regions of France. Briar Ridge is a Halliday Red Star Winery, a rating awarded to outstanding wineries regularly producing wines of exemplary quality. Originally founded in 1972, many of the vines have been growing for 45 years.
Produced in limited qualities, the Semillon grapes for this wine were hand-picked, foot-stomped, with a brief time on skins before being allowed to soak for four hours prior to pressing.
The nose is complex and rich with notes of ripe orchard pears and yellow citrus. The palate is lemon curd layered with earthy minerals framing ripe citrus fruits. This wine is both delicate and concentrated. It can be enjoyed now or you could hold onto it for an Easter in years to come, over the next 8-12 years it will develop more texture and complexity.
Pairing Guide: this is a food-friendly wine that will suit multiple dishes. Get out the baked ham or try it with white fish and a creamy sauce.
RRP: $50 available at >> briarridge.com.au/
3. Cupitt's Estate Viognier 2023
Family owned and operated, Cupitt’s Estate in Shoalhaven once a prosperous dairy farm, has grown to a winery, cellar door and restaurant, microbrewery, fromagerie, organic farm and a boutique accommodation offering.
2023 was one of the best years for Viognier in the Hilltops due to the cooler growing season, making it closer to what you’d expect from European wines.
The Viognier was awarded a Silver Medal at the 2023 NSW Wine Awards and a Silver rating by Halliday Wine Companion.
Highly aromatic with hints of apricot, citrus and tropical fruits. The palate is bold with a lingering acidity and a touch of ginger spice on the finish.
Pairing Guide: the richness of this grape would work well with poached salmon or roast chicken.
RRP: $32 available at >> cupittsestate.com.au/
4. Crociani Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 2019
This incredible Tuscan red wine comes from the 14th century cellars of the Crociani Estate in Montepulciano. The vineyard is run by Susanna Crociani, a fourth generation winemaker. Susanna was a teetotaller until she took over the vineyard after the death of her father and brother. Now she makes the wine she wants to drink, focusing on natural practices. Every aspect of the viticulture is carried out by hand, she farms organically and takes a non-interventionist approach to winemaking. The wine is aged in the fourteenth century Crociani cellars for 24 months in Slavonian oak barrels and then at least two months in bottle before release. In order to have the denomination Riserva on the label, the wine must spend three years aging with at least six months in the bottle.
The Vino Nobile is 90% Sangiovese, followed by 10% Canaiolo and Mammolo.
The Sangiovese comes through with bright cherry notes, also seen in its intense ruby colour. Medium-to-full-bodied, this wine is fragrant and amazingly complex. Very earthy with subtle hints of spice. An elegant long finish with soft tannins.
Pairing Guide: Planning on a roast lamb for Easter? This wine will pair perfectly, especially if you add Italian-inspired flavours like garlic, rosemary or oregano, rich tomato sauces. And if there’s still wine left following your main meal, serve some medium to well-aged cheese with it.
RRP: $55.00 available at >> thestandardwineco.com/
Spirit
Hidden in the back streets of Botany Bay, NSW is Banks & Solander Distillery. The boutique micro distillery was inspired by the history of the area and the native plants catalogued by botanists Sir Joseph Banks and Dr. Daniel Solander. Husband and wife team (Marty and Ed), hand craft artisanal refreshments from a combination of traditional and native Australian botanicals.
The Fig Gin is made with award-winning, chemical free fresh figs. The figs have been carmelised with brown sugar and macerated in Banks & Solander’s Signature Gin (an aromatic citrus forward full-bodied gin) to create a unique and distinctive gin. The organic figs sourced from Canberra, were made from 1000 acres produce.
There’s an earthy luxurious sweetness to this flavourful gin and its texture makes it more savoury than sweet.
Pairing Guide: ideal for post meal. Enjoy it straight with a bit of ice or pour it over a bit of ice-cream.
RRP: $78 vailable at >> banksandsolander.com/
And our alcoholic-free option...
Founded by Melbourne entrepreneur Aaron Trotman, who believes ‘conformity is boring’, NON is an alternative zero-free beverage.
Designed by a team of expert food and beverage professionals (chefs, bartenders, food scientists and winemakers), NON is built with similar production methods and flavour profiles to wine. Tannin, floral, salinity and acidity are extracted from real produce using techniques from the culinary and viticulture worlds. The result: complex drinks with vinous-like qualities.
NON is an infusion of herbs, spices, fresh fruits and vegetables. Lightly carbonated NON7 Stewed Cherry and Coffee is a spicy-sweet mix of cold brew, sour cherry and spice.
Pairing Guide: this beverage is so delicious it could be a dessert alternative or indulge, it is Easter after all, sip on it with a slice of rich chocolate cake.
RRP: $30 available at >> non.world/
