Easter Dinner & NJ Wines

Happy Easter! While neither my wife nor I are Italian, we do love Italian food (including the traditional Easter Ham Pie and Ricotta Pie for dessert). My wife’s best friend for years, Roseanne, usually makes them from scratch from a family recipe. We have been fortunate enough to receive a serving of both of these gems in years past. These pies are works of culinary art and fit for a special holiday. This year, with the pandemic and some family illness, our friends had their hands full. We decided to try a local version made at an establishment where we have had some excellent takeout in the past. The challenge: Pairing these two wonderful pies with a couple of wonderful New Jersey wines.

I thought we had a great Rose wine, which would certainly be up for the job. How I neglected to stash one away for this occasion is beyond me. But all was not lost, I had an excellent Pinot Noir and a very good Riesling as my back-ups. My wife and I often go back and forth between a good red and a good white until we fix upon our preference with an entree. I also came up with an inspired pairing for our ricotta pie-A White Port-style wine. More on these wines later.

I decided to not name the store where we got our pies. Not because they were awful. But the Ham Pie was entirely too salty. It couldn’t hold a candle to our friend, Roseanne’s Ham Pie. I was glad to have the Riesling available, as it helped neutralize some of the saltiness of the pie.

The Ham Pie

While, a thinner piece than what we were used to, the crust was very good and perfectly baked. Filled with small pieces of ham and a mixture of egg, cheese, and seasonings, we only wished it wasn’t so salty. Ok, we also missed the sausage that Roseanne adds to her recipe.

The Ricotta Pie

This was actually quite good (though again not up to our friend’s version). It had a delicious aroma and tasted of Amaretto and vanilla. Again the pie crust was picture-perfect.

The Wines (Pictured at Top of Post, left to right)

• Turdo Vineyards DiLuca 2020 Riesling-A dry version with lime and pair notes. Possibly Luca’s best Riesling to date (in my opinion). I thought this wine was also an excellent pairing with the Ham Pie.
• Amalthea’s Green Dragon Tavern Pinot Noir-A fantastic Pinot Noir, sourced with California grapes and exhibiting the ripe fruit quality of their Pinot Noir grapes. The slight hint of sweetness, coupled with the ample acidity did compliment the Ham Pie pretty well. Truthfully, it was also awesome while waiting for the pie to warm.
• Hawk Haven 2010 White Port– A very unique port-style wine with an amazing mouthfeel and a complexity that I truly loved. It was made with Moscato grapes and a neutral brandy. The orange and nutty notes were a great match with this dessert. We had tasted this Port at a Futures Event, straight from the barrel. It was great then, but continued to mature into the best White Port I have ever tried.

Cheers!

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