The bright holiday of Holy Easter will be celebrated in Armenia on Sunday. Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Christ around the festive table, in an atmosphere of unity and joy. At such a moment, it is especially pleasant to pour wine—symbolizing the blood of Jesus Christ—into the glasses and taste it with gratitude for the forgiveness of sins and new life. NEWS.am STYLE will now help on how to choose the right wine and observe religious rules for Easter.
What kind of wine is customary to drink on Easter?
Post-Soviet conservatives will unanimously call it Kagor, an enriched wine produced by heat treatment. In the vast areas of the former Soviet Union, in those ex-Soviet republics where the art of winemaking flourishes, Kagor is made from various types of grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon is preferred in some places, Merlot and Saperavi in several countries, while Malbec, despite being a staple of the classic French Kagor, is rare among local producers. In the Middle Ages, Kagor wines were called "black," and many speculate that it may have been because of its dense, rich color that this wine was chosen for church services as a symbol of Christ's blood. Those who do not follow the rules so strictly or are simply not fond of sweet wine, which is very popular among consumers today, can afford the “accompaniment” of a finer wine without violating the rules of Easter.
We choose wine for Easter table menu
It is customary to bake Easter cookies, paint eggs, and cook fish on the holiday table. And according to tradition, the Armenian Easter table should be decorated with raisin rice pilaf. People say that the white rice symbolizes humanity and the raisin represents the Christians who believed in the Savior. When preparing the Easter menu, you should first pay attention to sparkling wines. They will be a real “salvation” if there are dishes with an excess of sweetness and umami taste on the table. We recommend choosing sparkling wines with a small amount of sugar and a light fruity aroma; they will perfectly complement an airy cake with raisins, or pay attention to classic sparkling wines, where the yeasty flavors of wine and cake will harmoniously combine with each other.
Codorniu "Classico" Cava Semi Seco
We invite your attention to this sparkling wine from Spain, which has a delicate fruit aroma with classic cava tones of apple and grapefruit, as well as flavors of toasted white bread. The refreshing taste of this wine has a pleasant acidity, and it is filled with floral tones, peach flavors, and creamy candies.
Finding the right wine to pair with boiled eggs can seem like a daunting task. The unique flavor of the egg limits the range of wines to suit its specific needs, but don't despair. The optimal choice would be light white wines with soft acidity and without pronounced oak aging, such as the Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or our Armenian Voskehat wine.
Zulal Voskehat Dry
This wine has a pleasant aroma with hints of white flowers and tropical fruits. On the palate it is perfectly balanced, pleasing with harmonious acidity and an enveloping oily texture. Shades of peach and apricot dominate, and the aftertaste is refreshing and mineral.
When choosing red wines, you should avoid wines with high tannin content, as they can unpleasantly distort the taste of the boiled yolk of the egg. Instead, it is recommended to opt for simple, fruity, and light wines.
Rigal "L'Esquisse" Cahors
A dry red wine from the Malbec grape variety, produced in Cahors, located in the southwest of France, which, among other things, is a first-rate alternative to the sweet Kagor, justified both logically and historically. Don't expect this wine to absorb too much, you'll sense a subtle interplay of blackcurrant, cherry, and black plum tones interwoven with hints of spicy spices when tasting it.
Liana Aghajanyan
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