Tomorrow is Easter, and Passover is coming to an end soon. This means that lamb will be on the menu for millions of Catholics, Christians, and Jews around the world. Some will prepare it on the grill and others will take their time with a roast, but whatever your style may be there’s wine and beer to make your feast complete.
Which Wines Pair With Spring Lamb?
Spring Lamb is young, more delicate lamb, and requires Pinot Noir or Beaujolais. These light reds have wonderful cherry and spice notes to compliment the lamb while not bringing excess tannin that would crush the dish.
Champagne, Cava, or Prosecco have structure and carbonation enough to stand up to red meat while not taking away from it’s flavor.
Spring Lamb is also delicious with full bodied Rose or Sparkling Rose. Look to Rose from Bandol, France or Spain. Try to avoid Rose from Provence, France.
A little tannin is called for to bind with the fat and Rose from Provence has almost none.
What Beers Pair With Spring Lamb?
Ambers and Brown Ales are a great match for Spring Lamb. Both styles bring a touch of caramel malt and have light to moderate bitterness. The carbonation of the Amber and Brown Ales helps to cut the fat and the subtle flavors of these styles don’t drown out the lamb’s sweetness.
Which Wines Pair With Grilled Lamb Chops?
Medium bodied red wines like Chianti and Tempranillo Reserva pair well with lamb chops. This cut of lamb is very tender, taken from the ribs, and prepared on a grill resulting in some char requiring wines with fruit and earth.
Chianti and Tempranillo Reserva both have medium tannins for the fat and won’t crush the tender, medium rare preparation of this cut of meat.
What Beers Pair With Grilled Lamb Chops?
It’s fun to pair Brown Ales, Scotch Ales, Belgian Dubbels, and Irish Stouts with Grilled Lamb Chops. These styles all have a caramel or roasted malt to compliment the char and grill marks on the lamb.
These malty beers are exquisite with grilled meat because of something called the “maillard reaction.”
What Is The Maillard Reaction?
The “maillard reaction” happens when proteins (amino acids) and reducing sugars in food undergo a caramelization under heat. This reaction happens in foods like lamb, pork, steak, breads, and even marshmallows that are heated to the right point.
Many beers have barley malted to this same caramel level producing the maillard effect. It’s called caramel malt.
Belgian Dubbels are known for their special dark caramel malt called “Belgian Special B”. They’re magic with any grilled lamb, especially if it’s served with mint or mint jelly.
Which Wines Pair With Roast Leg Of Lamb?
Malbec and red Bordeaux blends have the right tannin content to meet the fat of roast leg of lamb, and the fruit and spice to complete the package.
Malbec is originally from the Bordeaux region of France but made it’s name in single varietal form in Argentina.
What Beers Pair With Roast Leg Of Lamb?
Scotch Ale, Belgian Dark Strong Ales, and Rauchbier are extraordinary with roast leg of lamb. They bring the right form of dark fruit, dark malt, and carbonation to compliment the lamb and cut the fat.
Rauchbier is a German Smoked beer with the base being a Marzen (Oktoberfest). It’s not for everyone but if you like smoke it’s world class..
Which Wines Pair With Roast Lamb Shoulder?
Roast lamb shoulder has high fat content and calls for a more tannic, full bodied red wine like Syrah (Shiraz), or a Southern Rhone Blend like a Chateauneuf Du Pape.
Californian and Australian Bordeaux Blends will also work with roast lamb shoulder as they are more tannic, and opulent coming from warm weather than their expressions are from France.
What Beers Pair With Roast Lamb Shoulder?
Roast lamb shoulder is rich, fat, and full of flavor so a Belgian Dark Strong or Doppelbock are a perfect match. Both beers bring dark malt and dark fruit sweetness.
Whichever direction you go in the kitchen this Easter or Pesach, know that there are countless pairings to make memories.
Many varietals and beers could not be mentioned due to the shear number out there, and the average attention span. If you see light or full bodied, tannic or not, use those measures in choosing wines available to you. If a malty beer is mentioned, look for a similar malty beer like a Dunkel.
Happy holidays, happy spring, and happy exploring! Cheers!