Under a paschal moon: wines to compliment your holiday feast

People, it’s all based on the moon: the paschal moon. Passover and Easter are the original moveable feasts, based on a series of mathematical approximations, an astronomical chart, the full moon cycle and an equinox. Since it’s all science and mathematics, they should always line up, right? Wrong. Because they both then are further based on human-created calendars — two different calendars, as it turns out, meaning that the possible dates can vary by more than a month.

And if that’s not confusing enough, there’s another Easter, too: Orthodox Easter, based on a different calendar. Oddly enough, those two Easters actually do fall on the same day this year, April 20, but Passover ends the day before. However, for the purposes of this column, we can cover all the meals for all of them in one fell swoop.

The universal constant between the two (or three) different holidays is the idea of a feast, one specifically involving wine. In the case of Easter, it’s Communion wine, and in the case of Passover, it’s the four cups of Seder, symbolizing sanctity, affliction, redemption and praise, with sometimes a fifth cup symbolizing the absent prophet Elijah. Granted, an extra level of kosher is often required for Passover but too often it’s quite hard to accomplish. And Communion wine is going to require a priest or a pastor.

So, with all of that in mind, here are my purely layperson/gentile local wine recommendations for your traditional holiday meal, be it your paschal brisket or lamb or an Easter ham — or just because it’s the weekend.

For Easter

2022 Leghorn Sauvignon Blanc, Petaluma Gap, $28

If there were such a thing as California Sancerre, this would be it. Sure, its Sonoma-based producers describe this sauvignon blanc (the varietal in Sancerre) as “melony passionfruit” but that belies this wine’s bracing acidity. Personally, I would describe it in more citrusy and wet slate terms, but hey, that’s me. For you, just know that bracing acidity cuts right through smoke or honey, both of which are prevalent in ham. And who doesn’t like a good pun? Leghorn for a Petaluma Gap wine, hilarious.

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For more information, go to leghornwine.com.

2022 Brooks Note Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre Blend, North Coast, $45

Ham is delicate in a way that makes pairing it with red wines a challenge: too much tannin and the ham disappears, not enough robustness and the wine disappears. Marin’s own Garry Brooks of Brooks Note hits a sweet spot with this blend. Candied fruit from the grenache (45%), spiciness from the syrah (30%) and earth from the mourvèdre (25%), all coupled with a lower alcohol content (13.8%), makes this wine a perfect match for ham. And perfect is always good, especially for the holidays.

For more information, go to brooksnotewinery.com.

For Passover

2020 Kendric Vineyards Chardonnay, Marin County/Petaluma Gap, $30

Sure, it’s fashionable amongst wine snobs these days to poo-poo buttery, oaky California chardonnay, despite its overwhelming popularity. But, you know what? If it’s done right, it’s pretty special. And that’s exactly what Kendric’s chardonnay is. One hundred percent malolactic fermentation gives it that big buttery mouthfeel. While neutral oak gives it a wonderful vanillin component, bright acidity balances it all out. Truly delightful, and more than enough wine to stand up to a lamb or brisket course, be it grilled, baked or doused in herbs. And as an added bonus, you can also thumb your nose at all the wine snobs. Call it my holiday gift to you.

For more information, go to kendricvineyards.com.

2019 Cazadero Winery Parmeter King Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir, Fort Ross-Seaview, $59

A two-time double-gold-winning wine, along with a few other single golds, Fairfax’s Frank and Ronita Egger have a real gem here. Red fruit nuance (raspberries and currants) creates a delicate yet strong fruit-forward base further supported by 14.4% alcohol and 100% French oak, which give this wine plenty of backbone — plenty enough for lamb or brisket for sure. Handpicked, all natural, native wild yeasts and “sustainably produced” hit all the proper buzzwords. And being unfined and unfiltered leaves you plenty to talk about when the wine is gone.

For more information, go to cazaderowinery.com.