Perfect red and white wine pairings for an Easter feast

White wines fermented and aged in oak barrels tend to have more body, texture and complexity, as well as toasted, nutty or buttery flavours that work well with roasted foods. The Rhone or Rioja are good hunting grounds, as per today’s recommendation — or the glorious barrel-fermented Roda I Blanco (€85), if price is no issue — or you’ll find plenty of barrel-fermented Chardonnay to fit the bill.

Likewise, with roast meats, seek wines with the body to stand up to robust flavours. However, do consider also the wine’s acidity levels, especially when pairing with fattier meats, and don’t dismiss white wines for white meats like pork. Today’s recommendations include a smart Mosel Riesling from Lidl’s Easter Wine Cellar that will work very well with roast pork and apple sauce.

Complementary flavours are a great way of highlighting special characteristics in the food and the wine. Today’s wine of the week is a delicious match for Irish lamb that has grazed on wild heather and herbs in the upland hills.

It’s worth sourcing the good stuff: Comeragh Mountain Lamb, Kerry Black Faced Mountain Lamb, Connemara Hill Lamb or Achill Mountain Lamb all have a herb-rich diet resulting in subtle nuances of flavour that can be elevated with the right wine pairing. Chilean Carmenere or Cabernet Franc from the Loire tend to overlay their black fruit character with slightly green, herbaceous notes that can work very well with Irish lamb.

Alternatively, you could stick with the classic pairing of roast lamb with Bordeaux claret, such as today’s steal of a Saint-Emilion from Aldi. It features in its Easter wine promotion, with reductions of up to 20pc on selected wines for a week from Monday, March 25. Some smart Specially Selected options from Aldi’s new spring cellar include the Picpoul de Pinet and Coteaux de Beziers Viognier-Grenache Blanc, both reduced from €9.99 to €7.99.

If you’d like to start lunch in style, try Aldi’s reliably good organic Prosecco (€11.59, from €14.49), or Lidl’s great-value Brut Rosé traditional method sparkling German sekt (€24.99). Bottle fermented with 15 months on the lees, it gives many rosé champagnes a run for their money. ​

Wines of the week

Globo Vultur Carmenere 2021, Colchagua Valley, Chile, 13pc, €32.95 New to Ireland and imported by a Chilean native living here, this is a lovely example of the Carmenere grape handled well. Unfiltered and unfined with 14 months in French oak barrels, it is dense, plush and a little meaty, with distinctive green notes of earthy heather and roast green capsicum fleshed out by juicy cassis and baked blackberries, and ripe fine tannins providing structure. Go roast hill lamb to accentuate the wild herb notes, or roast venison with a coffee rub. Barnhill Stores, Whelehans Wines, The Corkscrew, bodegasdonbear.com

Chateau Billeron Bouquey Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2020, Bordeaux, France, 14pc, €11.99/€14.99 With its bramble fruits, herbal rasp and smooth tannins, this friendly and reliable go-to from Aldi’s year-round cellar would make a seasonal treat with roast lamb. It is reduced to €11.99 in next week’s Easter wine promotion, which runs from March 25 to April 1. Aldi

Markus Molitor Feinherb Riesling, Mosel, Germany, 10.5pc, €12.99 Feinherb indicates an off-dry wine with some residual sugar that hasn’t been fermented out fully. Thanks to the high acidity of German Riesling, the deliciously tangy result will cut the richness of fattier meats like roast pork. A great-value example with notes of black lime, green apple, white flowers and nectarine. Lidl

Baigorri Crianza Rioja Blanco 2018, Rioja Alavesa, Spain, 13pc, €28 This barrel-fermented blend of Viura with 10pc Malvasia has been aged for eight months in barrels, producing a generous wine with spice and perfume and herbal balsamic nuance. A gorgeous pairing for roast fish or birds, or for dishes with creamy umami sauces. Selected independents, wineonline.ie

Atelier des Sources La Lumiere 2020, Cotes du Rhone, France, 14pc, €31.95 A honeyed, silky white from the Irish-based team behind Les Deux Cols, this is barrel-fermented Roussane with a little Bouboulenc. Think Sweet William, candied fennel, peach and praline yet dry with a fine line of acidity. A beautiful choice for roast turbot. Fallon & Byrne, 64 Wine, Searsons, Green Man Wines, Jus de Vine, Deveney’s, The Wine House (Trim), The Counter (Letterkenny), siyps.com