Easter 2024: 9 wines and 9 dishes for a gourmet tour of Italy

Always friends with whom to enjoy the first rays of sunshine and a day of laughter: coming soon. What's missing for the perfect Easter picnic? Food and wine, of course! But we took care of that. We have selected 9 wines to pair with as many regional Easter specialties, for a truly delicious tour of Italy: 9 proposals to be enjoyed en plein air to discover all the flavors of our country, from north to south, from east to west. Last but not least: the Easter dove and a good gin and tonic to end a gourmet day in style. Ready, set, off to our picnic.

With Alti Colli Trevigiani IGT – Bellenda Rustic bread and Venetian sopressa

Con Alti Colli Trevigiani IGT – Integrale Non Filtrato 2022 by Bellenda is a sparkling wine with the bottom produced with a single fermentation that ends in the bottle, without the addition of cold-preserved musts. It maintains its natural deposit of yeasts, appearing in the glass with a thin veil, fine and delicate bubbles. Made from 100% glera grapes, Con Alti strikes the nose with strong hints of white fruits, honeysuckle, white mint, rosemary, acacia flowers and flint, while in the mouth it is dry, fresh and tasty. Well preserved, it evolves, reaching a good complexity in terms of aromas and structure in the 10 years following the harvest.

Franciacorta Docg EBB Extra Brut 2018 – Mosnel Omelette with wild herbs

Our Easter picnic cannot miss a delicate and refined omelette with wild herbs, accompanied by a glass of Franciacorta EBB Extra Brut 2018. Dedicated to Emanuela Barzanò Barboglio, a reference figure for the denomination and mother of Giulio and Lucia Barzanò, owners from the Camignone Company (Brescia), this wine is the embodiment of the dry grace of Chardonnay acclimated to the terroir. It appears brilliant, clear and with a creamy perlage in the glass; verbena and the white flowers of osmanthus and lemon, combined with a note of green apples and cedar, alternate with green tea and fresh ginger.

C'Incanta Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Dop – Cantina Tollo Abruzzo Pecorino

Let's take a look at the typical flavors of Abruzzo, a land suspended between the mountains and the sea: here the perfect combination for a traditional Easter picnic is between the Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Dop C'Incanta from Cantina Tollo and pecorino, a mature hard cheese with an intense and decisive flavour, which fully represents the typical regional dairy product. C'Incanta is the result of fermentation in contact with the skins which takes place with natural yeasts, as per ancient peasant tradition.

Repanda Solaris 2022 – Savory Roeno Strudel with eggs and asparagus from Rivoli Veronese

Repanda Solaris 2022 is the PIWI white grape wine from Roeno, born from the crossing of different grape varieties and grown on the slopes of Monte Baldo. It has a lively straw yellow color and is striking with a fine and intense olfactory profile, in which tropical and balsamic notes and hints of yellow pulp fruit prevail. On the palate it is full-bodied, with a long and persistent finish. To obtain a product of the highest quality, the bunches are delicately destemmed and pressed and, during the refinement phase, cradled for six months in stainless steel containers, giving life to a unique, intense and aromatic, fruity and floral wine. Ideal as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to shellfish, white meats and cooked cheeses.

Selida Gewürztraminer 2023 – Tramin Speck Alto Adige PGI

On behalf of South Tyrolean picnics we propose Selida 2023, the classic Gewürztraminer from Cantina Tramin. Selida is aromatic on the nose and offers a plurality of alpine scents that recall the floral notes of rose petals, lily, spicy white flowers, dried herbs together with exotic notes of fruit such as mango and maracuja. Deep, spicy flavour, intense aroma, freshness and long persistence. Magnificent in combination with Speck Alto Adige PGI, with which it creates an intense play of flavors that balance perfectly, between the softness of the fat and the smokiness of the sliced meat and the aromatic intensity and freshness of the Gewürztraminer. The grapes are grown between 300 and 500 meters above sea level with south-east exposure on calcareous, clay and gravelly soil. Price: around 15 euros in a wine shop

Lugana Doc Benedictus – Le Morette Russian fish salad

For the Easter holidays Le Morette proposes the Lugana Doc Benedictus : a wine whose name recalls the work of the Benedictine fathers who in San Benedetto di Lugana - a hamlet of Peschiera del Garda (Verona) where today the company of Valerio, Fabio and Paolo Zenato – founded the parish church and gave impetus to the cultivation of vines. Benedictus is obtained from a particular selection of Turbiana grapes grown in the historic vineyard of Le Morette, characterized by clayey soils of a calcareous and marly nature. Straw yellow color and hints of golden nuances, which reach more intense tones with refinement in the bottle, distinguish this Lugana as delicate and pleasant on the nose, with notes of exotic fruit, acacia flowers and hints of spices.

Trace of Rosa Chiaretto di Bardolino – Le Fraghe Pike in sauce

Traccia di Rosa Chiaretto di Bardolino by Le Fraghe is one of the few Italian pink wines to be released on the market after aging for a year, a sign that this type too, with the right grapes and territory, can give life to a long-lived wine. Obtained from the best Corvina and Rondinella grapes, selected and harvested by hand, Traccia di Rosa has a pale pink color, which is enriched with light coppery reflections during refinement. On the nose, fruity notes of plum, yellow-fleshed peach and apricot stand out, which as they evolve give way to hints of candied orange and saffron. On the palate the acidic freshness is decisive and clearly perceptible. The finish is savory and persistent.

Montepolli Igt Toscana Rosso 2019 – Tenuta Licinia Ciaccia Tuscan Easter

In Valdichiana, Easter cannot be said to be complete without the presence on the table - or in this case on the plaid - of Easter Ciaccia! This savory cheese-based focaccia, traditionally accompanied by delicious Tuscan cured meats such as ham, capocollo and Cinta Senese salami, finds a perfect balance with Montepolli IGT Toscana Rosso 2019 from Tenuta Licinia, a winery on the slopes of the Tuscan Apennines, near the village of Lucignano (Siena). It is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot grapes coming from a small plot carefully chosen for the particular limestone-clay subsoil, giving life to a clos-style wine. The nose is intense, with aromas of ripe strawberry, accompanied by subtle balsamic and leather nuances. On the palate it confirms the strawberry, enriched by light notes of grapefruit peel and herbaceous hints of rosemary and sage.

Vigna Benefizio Morellino di Scansano Docg – Cantina Vignaioli del Morellino di Scansano Ricotta squash with capocollo

For a picnic with a Maremma flavour, you can't miss the ricotta squash with capocollo, a delicacy anchored in the Tuscan tradition which lends itself perfectly to convivial moments and which conquers the palate with its combination of sweet and savory. To accompany it, we recommend a bottle of Vigna Benefizio Morellino di Scansano Docg from the Cantina Vignaioli del Morellino di Scansano. Intense ruby red in colour, Vigna Benefizio presents hints of rose, berry jam, cocoa, undergrowth, spices and balsamic nuances on the nose. On the palate it is dry and has good structure and character thanks to the round tannins and pleasant flavor. The finish is broad and persistent.

Wild Strawberry and Milk Chocolate Colomba – Filippi Pastry Shop

From the incessant curiosity to explore new combinations that characterizes Pasticceria Filippi, the Colomba with Wild Strawberries and Milk Chocolate is born, in which the delicacy of wild strawberries combines with the enveloping creaminess of milk chocolate, giving an irresistible experience for the palate. The secret of Filippi products lies in the selection and care of the finest and most genuine ingredients. No artificial aromas are used to guarantee creations with a unique taste, where each ingredient is enhanced and blends in harmony with the others. The Wild Strawberry and Milk Chocolate Colomba embodies this philosophy thanks to the use of natural yeast, eggs from cruelty-free farms, cold centrifuged butter and Bourbon vanilla.

Gin 7 Laghi ® – Pisoni The Easter Gin Tonic

The best way to end our Easter picnic in style? With Pisoni's Gin 7 Laghi ®, perfect for a balsamic gin and tonic: with its aromas it evokes the splendid Valle dei Laghi, located between Lake Garda and the cool Dolomites, and its Mediterranean microclimate. The precious botanicals that make up the distillate grow here: juniper, woodruff, mint, rhubarb, gentian, centaury, liquorice, calamus and cinchona. 7 Laghi ® Gin is born in Tullio Zadra copper stills using the most noble Gin production method, the London Dry, which involves a single distillation in the still of all the botanicals in a hydroalcoholic solution.