EASTER, THE SHOP EXPERT: "PROSECCO SHOULD BE PAIRED WITH STUFFED HARD-BOILED EGGS AND EASTER CAKE, NO TO ARTICHOKES AND LAMB."

Sandro Bottega, a renowned Venetian wine entrepreneur, is suggesting two complete menus for the occasion, one for Easter and one for Easter Monday, pairing the most suitable wines from appetizer to dessert . On Sunday, Sandro Bottega suggests starting with torta pasqualina, a typical Ligurian appetizer made with chard, borage, prescinsêua (or ricotta), and eggs. The wine he recommends pairing is Pinot Noir Rosé Spumante Brut. The next dish is risotto with asparagus and parmesan and Pinot Grigio Venezia DOC, a fresh and elegant white wine. One of the quintessential traditional dishes, roast lamb with potatoes, could be enjoyed this year with a glass of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG to further appreciate the flavor of the meat. Chocolate eggs and Colomba cakes are also appearing on the lavishly laid tables: the former can be paired with Italian whiskey, Prosecco grappa, or red vermouth; A sparkling Moscato, instead, for the most famous Easter dessert. The following day, Easter Monday, for those not having a barbecue, Sandro Bottega offers a different menu. It begins with an appetizer of hard-boiled eggs stuffed with tuna, capers, and mayonnaise, paired with Prosecco DOC Brut, a dry and refined sparkling wine. For the first course, he selects lasagna with radicchio, walnuts, and gorgonzola, paired with a DOC white wine like Sauvignon Collio. Bottega then offers a Rosso Venezia DOC to enjoy with the meat main course: this time, he's adding roast goat with herbs to the menu. To round out the Easter Monday dishes, the Veneto entrepreneur adds a wild herb frittata (wild herbs, spring onions, parsley) and a glass of Prosecco DOC Extra Brut. He then finishes with a slice of pastiera napoletana, one of the most popular desserts in the entire peninsula. In this case, the suggested wine pairing is for true experts and is the Cartizze Prosecco Superiore Docg Dry, a high-quality prosecco. "Easter and Easter Monday menus evoke tradition and spring," says Bottega, who also highlights some pairings that should absolutely be avoided: "For example, artichokes have organoleptic characteristics that make them difficult to pair with any type of wine. It's best to drink water in this case and reserve wine for the other dishes on the Easter menu. With Colomba and desserts in general, pairing them with Prosecco Brut or Brut sparkling wines is best avoided. It's preferable to pair them with Prosecco Extra Dry or Dry (both with higher residual sugar than Brut). Or with sweet sparkling wines, such as Moscato. Finally, stracchino, fleur de sel, and fresh cheeses should be avoided when paired with red wines. With these foods, it's advisable to choose young white wines (Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay) or Prosecco and other Charmat method sparkling wines. Like every year, we prepare for family lunches and dinners where we can share precious moments. It's therefore important to create balanced menus and pair them appropriately to appreciate these specialties even more." festive days that are about to arrive", concludes Sandro Bottega, a Venetian wine entrepreneur .