Hoppy Easter! Eggcelent Candy + Wine Pairings

Although we all grow older and don't necessarily get Easter baskets or hunt for eggs, one of the cherished traditions of the Easter holiday is the candy.  We've paired seven quintessential Easter candies with seven wines to sweeten your holiday weekend.

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The sweetness of the bubbly champagne stands up to the sweet marshmallow treats. We love Champagne Delamotte Brut. Easter is a celebration, after all, so you can never go wrong with champagne. 

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What is more Easter than a chocolate bunny? And what is more of a dessert wine than port? Try a dark chocolate bunny with Warre's Otima 10-year-old Tawny Port

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Keep this pairing in mind year round, after all, a Reese's Peanut Butter Egg is just a regular Reese's Cup in festive form. Try it with a Cabernet Sauvignon like Boekenhoutskloof. Robust, the savory notes of the Cabernet Sauvignon pick up the salty notes of the peanut butter quite well.

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This sweet treat might be the quintessential Easter candy. From the shape to the tradition, when you see one of these eggs you know Easter is here. Uber sweet, Cadbury Creme Eggs pair well with a Gradis'ciutta Chardonnay. The oaky-ness of the wine compliments the creaminess of the egg filling. 

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A part from the fact we just really love sparkling wines, turns out they pair well with a variety of savory and sweet treats. A sparkling wine like Alma Negra Nature Brut doesn't compete with the sweet and tart flavors of the candy. 

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Jellybeans are tricky to pair wine with, with so many different flavors in just one handful. So lean into the sweetness and choose and equally sweet Moscato. We love an easy drinking Moscato like Bulletin Place.

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Similar to sparkling wines, when in doubt, choose Rosé. The slightly sweet but acidic Miraval goes hand-in-hand with the crunch of the malted milk and sweetness of the chocolate. 

Eat, Drink, & Be Merry!

Read on for food and wine pairings perfect for the Holiday season. We'll cover the eating and drinking, it's just up to you to be merry!

Unlike more traditional Thanksgiving, really anything can go menu-wise at Christmas. 

We selected a few of our favorite wines (that we love to both give and receive, so if you're still looking for that perfect gift and our Gift Guide didn't quite do the trick....) and paired them with some delicious dishes. 

If you're having friends over for a holiday gathering, if you're just spending time at home with your feet up to relax, or if you need a snack to tide you over between big meals, you can't go wrong with wine and cheese. Try Domaine Delaporte Sancerre Silex with some Crottin de Chavignol. 

And once you've had your fill of ham and turkey and gingerbread and peppermint, the Sancerre Silex is a perfect wine for Thai or Chinese takeout. 

 

 

Of course at Christmas time you'll be eating hearty meats. With more traditional holiday fare like tenderloin, prime rib, and rack of lamb pour a glass of Massolino Barolo Vigna Rionda. The flavors are intense, complex, refined, and unique and the color is a beautiful garnet that is sure to provoke oohs and ahhhs from all who drink it. This is the holy grail of Barolo top vineyards. For special times with close family and friends, you need a special wine and this is it. 

 

 

If you're celebrating Hannukah and are looking for something to sip with your latkes, try Champagne Delamotte. The bubbles cleanse your palate and the acid cuts through the oil. Not to mention Hannukah is truly a celebration- a festival (of lights)- so you need a wine that brings the festivity. 

 

 

 

If you're tired of making decisions (what gifts to buy, what time to arrive at Grandma's house, what to wear to the party...), we have a wine that will be the easiest (and one of the best!) decisions you'll make all holiday season. One wine that can start almost any meal off well is Gradis'ciutta Friulano. It's a beautiful white perfect for beginning any dining experience.

 

Finally, while not a food and wine pairing, mulled wine is sure to make you merry! 
Two of our favorites to use are Stark Condé 3 Pines and Padrillos Malbec.
Bon Appétit Magazine and Ina Garten both have delicious recipes. Pick one, whip up a batch, and warm up on a cold night!

Harvest | Vendanges | Vendemmia |Traubenernte

Early fall is the busiest and most important time of the year for wineries in the Northern Hemisphere- Harvest season. Long hours and intensive labor consume each and every member of the winemaking team. 

There is so much that goes into a bottle of wine that the consumer never sees. Take a peek behind the curtain and explore harvest season at a few Vineyard Brands wineries around the world. 

FRANCE

Domaine de Courcel: A 400 year old family owned winery, located in the village of Pommard on the Côte d'Or, about four kilometers south-east of Beaune. 

Domaine Weinbach: Located at the foot of the majestic Schlossberg hill in Alsace, this family owned winery is run by Catherine Faller and her son, Théo. 

Les Alexandrins:  Located in the Northern Rhône Valley, Domaine & Maison Les Alexandrins is a collaboration among Nicolas Jaboulet, Guillaume Sorrel, and Alexandre Paso. 

Clos Triguedina: Found in southwestern France, Clos Triguedina is currently led by Jean Luc Baldes. 

Thibault Liger-Belair: Located in Nuits-St.-Georges, in the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, the domaine has been in the Liger-Belair family for 250 years.

ITALY

Massolino: Located in northern Italy in the Piedmont region, the Massolino estate was founded in 1896. 

Gradis'ciutta:  Driven by Robert Princic, Gradis'ciutta is located in northern Italy and before carrying the name Gradis’ciutta, this place was known as Monsvini, which in Latin means “Mount of Wine.”

GERMANY

August Kesseler: Situated in the Assmannshausen in the Rheingau region, the wine estate of August Kesseler consists of vineyard sites in Lorch (for Riesling and Silvaner wines), on the slopes of the hills around Rüdesheim and in the area called “Assmanshäuser Höllenberg.”

UNITED STATES

Tablas Creek Vineyard: West of Paso Robles, on California's Central Coast, Tablas Creek is named after the small creek running through the property and the the 120-acre site sits twelve miles from the Pacific Ocean. You can find more detailed harvest updates on their blog.

Wine Down

Fresh off the Emmys we've been thinking more about what wines our favorite TV characters drink. 

More and more it seems wine is synonymous with strong female characters on TV shows. While Sex and the City made the cosmo famous, the 21st century has ushered in a new generation of wine drinkers. 

We know we aren’t the only ones who see a glass of wine on TV (or during a Netflix binge) and feel inspired to drink like the character. We’ve rounded up a few wine lovers from our favorite shows and wines inspired by their taste and personality.

Image: Buzzfeed

Image: Buzzfeed

Alicia Florrick
In the Good Wife Alicia faces on challenge after another, but through it all she keeps a steady hand while pouring a glass of red wine. A lawyer with a life as complex as the cases she faced, Alicia would enjoy a bottle of Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir- not overly fruity with hints of savory primal character.

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Claire Underwood
First lady turned Vice President Claire Underwood is cunning and plays by her own rules. No doubt she would appreciate MAAL winemaker Alfredo Merlo’s desire to produce “unique, elegant, and intense Malbec wines.” Claire would be right at home drinking a glass of bestial or rebellion.

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 Skylar White
Few characters that grace our TV screens have been through more than Breaking Bad’s Walter White’s long-suffering wife Skylar White. While much changes over the course of the show, one things doesn’t- Skylar’s love for white wine. Pour yourself a glass of Marqués de Cáceres Verdejo or Cono Sur Bicicleta Sauvignon Blanc and cheers to the fact YOUR significant other isn’t cooking up meth.

Image: DailyMail

Image: DailyMail

Cersei Lannister
Plotting, scheming, and downright dangerous, Cersei casually enjoys a glass of wine while blowing up part of a city. So if you too have similarly large plans (though hopefully less destructive) and are looking for the right wine to pair with said plans, pour of glass of Gradis’ciutta Merlot- the intense bouquet, dry taste, and slightly bitter taste will have you thinking of Cersei to the last drop.

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Blair Waldorf
Queen B of the Upper East Side knows the best way to celebrate any success- whether personal or professional- is with a glass of bubbly. Treat yourself like our fabulously wealthy heroine and toast your latest success with a glass of the incomparable Champagne Salon or Champagne Delamotte.