Easter Treats

The weather is perking up and the austerity of winter will soon be behind us. With spring on the doorstep, here are some suggestions to make your  Easter Sunday lunch all the better.

THE WINE

It's a great name for a wine, The Waxed Bat, and it's certainly worth a detour. No surprise then that this Shiraz Petit Verdot Malbec 2008 won Gold at London's International Wine Challenge.

This Shiraz based blend is choc full of blackberry and spice and is perfect with the Sunday roast or chargrilled meat. Its smooth finish punches well above its weight and price tag. An Argentinian wine, its made by Opi Sadler, a highly regarded winemaker. But why Waxed Bat?  Opi says, 'As a young boy I remember following my grandfather down to his wine cellar… the bottles sealed in the old way with thick, red wax… a small bat fluttering in the lamplight… how these things stay with you! The Waxed Bat for me captures my first steps in the fascinating world of wine.'

The Waxed Bat caught Tony Laithwaite's eye and he rates it highly. It is available at Laithwaites.com for £6.99 a bottle and at other outlets.

THE CHEESE

Patricia Michelson's cheese emporium in Marylebone, La Fromagerie, is packed with artisan made cheeses, along with freshly baked breads, virgin olive oils and other larder essentials. The knowledgeable staff are always on hand with recommendations. The cheeses are carefully matured in La Fromagerie's onsite maturing rooms and are in peak condition when they reach the shop floor. The website is great too with plenty of useful information on how to create the perfect cheese plate, together with suggested pairings for wine and other accompaniments.

AND THE CHOCOLATE

La Maison du Chocolat is the place to find exquisite mouth-watering chocolates. Gilles Marchal's creations are always push the boundaries and, this spring, the Easter Chocolate Safari is set to make many children and adults smile. Made using the finest ingredients and in a multitude of colours, the Easter egg landscape has been transformed into an African savannah, with giraffes, hippos and lions. The Easter classics are just as striking, with a real egg shell filled with chocolate praline, almonds and nuts and the more traditional hand finished chocolate rabbits.

30 March 2010