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.

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. 

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

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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. 

Open that Bottle!

Open That Bottle Night is February 24th! 

While maybe not as well-known of a holiday as "National Margarita Day" (which was also this week, February 22. If you didn't celebrate, belated celebrations are always acceptable!), Open That Bottle Night will soon become one of your favorite nights of the year. 

Dorothy J. Gaiter, author of The Wall Street Journal's wine column, "Tastings," from 1998 to 2010  created  the annual "Open That Bottle Night" celebration of wine and friendship. 

In her words, "John and I invented Open That Bottle Night to provide an impetus for people to enjoy a wine they had been keeping for a special occasion that never arrived. Weddings, births, anniversaries, all manner of special milestones had come but those corks remained intact. We knew this happened because readers told us about bottles like that and we have many ourselves.
While we urge people to open them as often as possible, and we try to do that because no one is promised tomorrow, there are still some bottles that we just haven’t brought ourselves to open. Some are rather young, but special to us, still. The point is to open these gems with someone you care about and celebrate the memories that are in that bottle. Make them the occasion. Recognizing that sometimes it takes a village to do something difficult, we set a date, the last Saturday in February, for this global celebration of friendship, love and wine. This year, it’s Feb. 24th.

The hard part is choosing the wine. If it’s old and may have sediment, you’ll want to stand it up a couple days before Saturday the 24th so the sediment will settle in the bottom of the bottle. Have a back-up wine handy in case your first choice is irretrievably bad (and even then, don’t rush to throw it out. You’d be surprised how some old wines can pull themselves together by the next day).

It's not all about old and collectables. Some people use OTBN as a reason to finally buy a wine they’ve been curious about for some time.

Talk about the wine, why it’s special to you, and savor a little of it without food. Give it a minute alone, give it its due. And last, enjoy the wine for what it is, not what it might someday be or might once have been."

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If you're either looking to buy a special bottle to celebrate or wondering which bottle from you existing collection you should open, we have some suggestions. 

Celebrations large and small (and really, why not just celebrate existence?) deserve champagne, and the 1997 Champagne Salon is really starting to drink at its peak.  

You can't go wrong with a Burgundy. The 2006 vintage of red Burgundy is drinking really nicely and 2013 vintage for white Burgundy will surprise you with their finesse.

Much like Burgundy, Barolo has a reputation for excellence. The 2004 Barolos are beginning to open up very nicely. 

With spring around the corner, it's time to open and drink 2016 rosés. They are better young (I'm sure many of us would say the same of ourselves!) and the 2017s are starting to hit the shores.  

Touchdown, Wine!

There's been quite the debate over who will win Super Bowl LII. Will Tom Brady and Bill Belichik lead the Patriots to yet another win? Or will the Philadelphia Eagles win their first championship since 1960? 

One thing that won't be up for debate is the MVP of your Super Bowl Watch Party. Spoiler alert, it's wine! 

We've collected some of our favorite recipes for snacks perfect for the big game from Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and Southern Living and paired them with some of our favorite wines. 

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Photo Credit: Bon Appétit 

CHIPS & GUACAMOLE: Every good party needs chips and dip and this one will guac your world. A bright white like Marqués de Cáceres Verdejo, a dry Riesling like August Kesseler Rudesheim Riesling, or a zesty New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc like Mohua all pair perfectly. 

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Photo Credit: Food & Wine

PIGS IN A BLANKET: Few things disappear as quickly at a party as Pigs in a Blanket. The warm sausage and crisp pastry...we're getting hungry just thinking about it. These from Food & Wine are brushed with a tasty mix of honey, mustard, and fresh black pepper to kick things up a notch. Pair with a dry rosé, like La Vieille Ferme or Miraval (both made by the Perrin Family). 

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Photo Credit: Bon Appétit 

PIZZA: Whether or not your team ends up breaking a pizza your heart, you'll want a slice of this pie from Bon Appétit Magazine. Get creative and add your own toppings or stick to classic cheese. Either way, pair with a Barbera or Dolcetto like Massolino produces. 

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Photo Credit: Bon Appétit

CHILI: How could we share recipes for the Super Bowl without including a recipe that is served in a bowl? Chili is the perfect antidote to cold weather and bonus- this one is made in a crockpot so you'll spend less time cooking and more time drinking! Try this crockpot chili with South African Ashbourne Pinotage, a Rhône Blend from Famille Perrin like Châteauneuf du Pape Les Sinards, or an Argentinian Malbec (you really can't go wrong with anything from TintoNegro). 

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Photo Credit: Southern Living Magazine

NACHOS: These are nacho average chips and toppings. These sheet pan nachos are customizable for any taste, fast, and fun. So if the party eats them up (and they will!), you'll be able to pop another round in the oven. This Southern Living recipe is elevated when paired with Thibault Liger Belair Moulin à Vent Vieilles Vignes Beaujolais. 

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A few other tips for Super Bowl snack pairings:

Serving anything fried- French fries, fried chicken, fried pickles, etc? Serve champagne. We love Champagne Delamotte Brut  or Blanc de Blancs. 

Serving wings? With spicy dipping sauces or marinades you'll want to go with something semi-dry but a little sweet- like Pichot Vouvray. 

Finally, the meatier the dish (maybe you add bacon and sausage and pepperoni to your pizza...), the heartier the wine. Borgo Scopeto makes a beautiful Chianti that can stand up to hearty meats. 

Pink & Provençal

Like we've written about before, rosé has become a staple in wine racks and on wine lists across the world. One of the reasons it is so popular is its versatility. Rosé finds itself somewhere in the middle between red wine and white wine. 

Mark Oldman said it best: 
"To achieve rosé nirvana, follow my 'Rosé Rule of P': serve it with anyting pink–lobster, shrimp, ham, pork–or anything Provençal–such as bouillabaisse, salade Nicoise, or grilled sardines"

We've rounded up a few recipes for you- both pink and Provençal- and a few of our favorite rosés- also pink and (mostly) Provençal. 

Thai Chicken and Watermelon salad

Fresh red berry and orange pith aromas of the La Vieille Ferme Rosé pair nicely with the chicken and pucker salad dressing-- plus what's could be more summer than watermelon and rosé?
Photo: Food & Wine

Crisp Tomato, Zucchini, Eggplant and Bread Gratin

This August Kesseler Rosé made from Pinot Noir works well with the juicy tomatoes and late-summer vegetables of the gratin. 
Photo: Photo: Food & Wine

Strawberry, Balsamic, and Goat Cheese Salad

Another classic spring and summer combination- strawberries and rosé. This light, refreshing salad works is the perfect lunch with a glass of well-balanced, elegant Miraval. 
Photo: Sweet Paul Magazine

Salmon Niçoise Pasta Salad

A twist on the classic French Niçoise salad, this salmon Niçoise pasta salad would be perfect for a picnic with a bottle of Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Rosé.
Photo: Coastal Living

Best-ever Chocolate Raspberry Brownies

Finally, who doesn't love a little bubbly? Try these chocolate raspberry brownies with this Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé from Domaine Michel Briday.