Wines for Ham
For ham, the best “tried and true” companion wines are, hands-down – a Riesling or a Gewürztraminer. Both wines tend to offer fresh, flavorful taste profiles with enough sweet fruit to balance the salt in the ham and enough acidity to support the combination without compromising the flavor in either the ham or the wine. Consider an Alsatian or German Riesling for their mineral-laden Old World character or a bright Washington state Riesling from either Hogue Cellars or Chateau Ste. Michelle.
If you are opting for a spicy Gewürztraminer, you may consider successful vintners such as Columbia-Crest,Trimbach, or Domaine Schlumberger. Both Riesling and Gewurztraminer are crowd-pleasing white wine favorites that have the versatility to handle a wide variety of palates, while accomodating plenty of preparation options for ham. A lightly oakedChardonnay would also handle ham well, if you are partial to this particular white wine.
If red wine is your first choice, then a Zinfandel is a perfect pick, as the higher alcohol content and fruit forward approach can handle the ham’s sweeter side.
Wines for Lamb
As for lamb, whether rack of lamb, leg of lamb or roast of lamb the the strategy is to stick with your well grounded red wines – a red Burgundy, a northern Rhone red, a Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot or a Tempranillo or Shiraz. You are shooting for red wines with decent tannin structure, good fruit and a finish that can endure as long as the lamb itself. The goal is to have a wine with enough fruit and acidity to handle the robust flavors of the lamb, but not overpower it in the process.
Wines from Israel
If you are interested in opting for a more authentic Easter wine selection, then consider awine from Israel. Israel has come onto the international wine scene with some serious wines. With over 140 wineries, between estates and smaller boutique wineries, there are plenty of wines to choose from. Look for Yarden, Golan Heights and Galil Mountain just to name a few well-distributed wines from Israel.
So, there you have it – several wine favorites that are safe bets for Easter dinner menus centered around ham or lamb – sure to thrill even your most finicky dinner guests.