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Over the last few weeks, we’ve had sun, wind, rain and even snow in some parts of the country, which can only mean one thing – it must be Spring. And, of course, hot on the heels of the Equinox comes Easter, so if you are planning a celebration meal, we have some suggestions for food and drink pairings with our award-winning English Wines that will put a spring in your step.
Fish for Good Friday
The six weeks of Lent before Easter are when Christians traditionally abstain from eating animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy, so by the time Easter comes around, people are keen to get feasting again. However, since the Christian religion also requires the faithful to abstain from meat on a Friday, fish is the food of choice for Friday suppers, including on Good Friday.
Whether you are opting for the great British favourite of a salt-and-vinegar soused parcel of fish and chips, a chunky sea bass steak, or something more refined like a delicate sliver of lemon sole, we have the perfect English Wine choice to go with fish.
Lyme Bay Shoreline – 2020 Vintage – has a balanced crisp acidity with a palate of lemon, hints of lime and a background of nettle herbaceous note that makes it an excellent match for seafood dishes. In fact, we made it just so to serve with the wonderful Devon and Dorset seafood on our (cellar) doorstep.
Holy Saturday Vegetarian Squash
Holy Saturday – also known as Black Saturday – is the last day of Holy Week before Easter and is believed by Christians to be the day the body of Jesus was entombed after his death on the cross.
Holy Saturday used to be the only Saturday when fasting was allowed in the early days of the Christian Church, and some Christians still choose to abstain from food or avoid meat on this day.
If you are looking for a meat-free dish to grace your own Holy Saturday table, why not try a tasty roasted and stuffed butternut squash. Heat your oven to 180C/gas mark 4, slice the squash lengthways and spoon out the seeds, coat in a little oil of your choice, season and roast for an hour and a half. Then stuff with whatever mix you fancy (we like cooked lentils, sauteed leeks, fresh herbs, and feta) and put back in the oven until the cheese has melted.
To accompany your sweet and fragrant roasted squash, we recommend our Lyme Bay Bacchus Block 2022. This 100% Bacchus wine has an intense and powerful grapefruit freshness, broad tropical-fruit notes, and herbal undertones that pair perfectly with vegetarian dishes.
Easter Sunday Lamb Roast
A roast leg of spring lamb is an Easter Sunday tradition for many households, served with fluffy roast potatoes and the freshest of spring vegetables.
Pinot noir and rosé both go brilliantly with lamb dishes, and we have two of the best here at Lyme Bay Winery. Our Pinot Noir 2020 is made from the finest fruit available in the UK and aged in 30% new oak, giving it a complex and intense array of black cherries, raspberries and bramble fruit flavours, underpinned by subtle toasty oak.
If you prefer something lighter, our Pinot Noir Rosé 2019 Vintage made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes is full-bodied with great acidity, and best served very lightly chilled.
Ham for Easter Monday
Ham is also eaten at Easter because it was cured during the winter months and ready to eat by the time spring arrived.
Our WineGB gold medalaward-winning 2020 Vintage Chardonnay is an elegant English Dry White Wine whose notes of creamy apples and stone fruit with the subtle creaminess of oak make it the perfect foil for the smoky sweetness of baked and glazed hams.
Simple Simnel Cake
Easter wouldn’t be the same without a slice of classic Easter simnel cake, traditionally topped with 11 balls of marzipan – to represent the 11 faithful disciples of Jesus disciples, leaving off Judas.
There are plenty of recipes online, and many people have a family favourite handed down through the generations – all of which make a delicious end to an Easter feast alongside a glass of something sparkling to celebrate the end of Lent and the coming of the brighter days.
Lyme Bay Classic Cuvée – 2016 New Vintage Release – is a refreshing accompaniment to the moreish marzipan of a simnel cake, with its citrus and stone fruits flavours, along with the more complex secondary aromas of cooked apples, breadcrumbs, honey, and almond.
Order now for Easter delivery
You still have time to stock up for Easter, either in person at our Winery shop here in Shute, near Axminster in Devon – open Monday to Saturday from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm (closed for a staff break 12.30-1 pm), and Sunday from 11 am until 3 pm – online, or via our friendly team here at the Winery.
Email them at [email protected] or call us on 01297 551355, with free delivery for all orders over £45, and despatch the next working day for all orders placed before 2 pm.
You can find and follow Lyme Bay on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for updates, offers and giveaways – and we’d love to see your Easter feasts and drinks ideas so do keep sharing.
