Red wine and roast lamb pairings for Easter offer the classic combination for a Sunday Roast. We have four splendid red wine and roast lamb pairings for those planning to roast a leg next week — or any time you feel like a red meat feast!
Lamb consumption is expected to bounce back this Easter after taking a tumble in 2020 with the onset of the dislocation arising from the pandemic. Despite lockdown measures and economic recession continuing to present a challenge, this key seasonal event for the meat industry will hopefully yield stronger sales. UK producers are especially hopeful as their lamb is attracting increasing acclaim for the quality, animal welfare standards and improving sustainability credentials of the meat.
Sheep farming is an ancient practice in the UK with native sheep breeds that include the Hebridean, Black Welsh Mountain, Kerry Hill, Cheviot, Romney, Herwick, Suffolk, Swaledale, Rough Fell and Ryeland. Whatever part of the British isles your lamb is sourced from, buying British lamb helps sustain rural livelihoods while also providing you with a meat that is naturally rich in protein and provides four essential vitamins.
Now on to the splendid red wine and roast lamb pairings for Easter! Here are the four awesome reds offering both quality and value that can be delivered to your door in time for Easter Sunday:
Rioja Crianza Valserrano 2016
A red made from Spain’s venerable Tempranillo grape is suggested by Andrew Chudley from Davy’s Wine Merchants: “If you are cooking a Roast this Easter then my choice is a Tempranillo from Rioja or Ribera del Duero.” Andrew notes that whilst Pinot or Rose may be a better match for lighter, less fatty dishes the fuller flavours and texture of a Roast needs something with some structure, tannin, acidity and bottle age to counter these characteristics and draw out the juicy flavours. He suggests a reserve (reservas) wine aged for 16 months in American and French oak: “Reservas would be the number one choice, rather than a wine too young or light, but this Crianza from the excellent Bodegas de la Marquesa, Rioja Alavesa is aged longer than most and delivers top quality at a more affordable price.” £14.95
KWV Classic Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
From the Western Cape of South Africa comes this vibrant Cabernet Sauvignon that offers bold aromas of ripe plums, blackcurrants or blueberries. Some may also detect vanilla, red fruit, herbs, oak or even a “hint of cigar box”. This young and easy-drinking red made by KWV, one of South Africa’s leading wine and spirits producers, was matured for 8 to 10 months in oak before being bottled. The young and easy-drinking Cab Sav has both medium acidity and tannins. The full, fruity flavour makes it a versatile wine and would also be a fine match with beef or some poultry dishes. £7.99
Henry of Pelham Old Vines Baco Noir 2019
“We love this Canadian Baco Noir with its deep, dark and concentrated purple colour,” says Penny Edwards of Cellar Door Wines, “It has ripe aromas and flavours of blackcurrant and blueberry fruit.” The origins of the Baco Noir go back to 1894, when French grape creator François Baco crossed Folle Blanche with an unknown member of the American Vitis riparia family. This has produced one of North America’s more successful hybrids. Penny says: “ This wine from the Niagara Peninsula is spicy, rich and smooth with a toasty oak finish. Perfect with roast Spring lamb and all the trimmings!” £17.95
Bellingham The Bernard Series Syrah
This Syrah (or Shiraz) comes from vineyards located on the northern and eastern foothills of the Simonsberg Mountains in the Western Cape region of South Africa. Long, warm summers create the ideal environment for ripening varieties like Shiraz. Bellingham traces its wine story back to Gerrit Janz Van Vuuren and his French Huguenot wife in 1693 under the name “Belle en Champ” (Beautiful Fields) and they set a tradition for winemaking that continues to this day in the area. The grapes, picked in early March, produce a wine that has an intense, dark ruby red colour with flavours of plums, blackcurrants and pepper. It has hints of dark chocolate and mixed spice. The fruity and spicy wine is a triumph that will grace any Easter Sunday lunch table. (Read more about Bellingham here) £10
