It’s almost the Easter long weekend so it’s time to look at which wines need to be cracked open to make the most of all the hot cross buns and chocolate we are going to be enjoying.

Let’s bring the ‘Hot’ to the Hot Cross buns.

The sweet spice, raisins (i.e. dried grapes) and savoury goodness of hot cross buns makes them a highly pairable food with wine. Some traditions say the buns can be medicinal, others believe taking the buns on a sea voyage can protect against shipwrecks - all we know is they are delicious and will be on everyone’s shopping list this weekend.  

The classic style of bun with dried fruits goes well with riesling, particularly the Tar and Roses 'Lewis' 2022 Riesling. Lovely lemon and lime aromas and a musk stick sweetness gives this wine a bold intensity which will be even more bold with the raisins inside the hot cross buns.

Also, if Good Friday will be all about seafood as well, riesling is an option you really can’t go wrong with - the tight acidity and slightly saline quality inside this Victorian bottle of wine is going to match oysters, salmon and prawns (especially if on the barbecue).

Good news for our Choc-lovers!

In terms of chocolate most people look towards sweet wines and fortified styles, like Aussie muscats and stickies. The idea here is a lot of sugar will pair with, you guessed it, a lot of sugar. Perhaps a less known combo is Aussie shiraz and chocolate, particularly younger styles with less oak such as the Little Giant Shiraz. The cooler Eden Valley fruit adds aromatic life, interest and freshness. This a contemporary Shiraz having spent time in older oak which adds subtle vanilla and chocolate nuances. Softness on the finish while maintaining freshness and vibrancy! 

With chocolate this shiraz becomes something like a fruit and chocolate lava cake on the tongue. At 14.5% alcohol there’s also a powerful nature behind the wine so the entire mouth feels full and complex - sweetness on the tip of the tongue, bitterness from the tannins at the rear and a heat from the alcohol in the throat. The kids are asleep (read: sugar crashed), the sun is setting and it’s time for the adults to sit back and have their own easter egg hunt with the help of a Yarra Valley shiraz.

My go-to chocolate for this shiraz? A block of dark chocolate and Little Giant Shiraz. The more full body the wine the more cacao you can use, but if you have something lighter such as a Pinot Noir maybe look towards milk chocolate. End of the day it’s all going to taste great, so enjoy!

Happy Easter, fellow Wine-lovers (or -drinkers).