While every other year, we are out preparing for Greek Easter, this year we are all worried about the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, our own health and sanity.
Only a few days ago, we had the 6th grandchild born into our family amongst this crisis so for us, and the 7th due in July. It’s imperative we take extra precautions this year and well Easter, will just not be the same as we will not be gathering together as a family.
Easter is a very special time in our family where we are all together celebrating life with good food and wine. It happens after harvest so it’s a great way to unwind and reflect on the vintage that has passed and the new vintage ahead. If we weren’t going through this pandemic, what would we normally be eating and drinking at Easter?
Easter Sunday is full of traditional foods such as a lamb on the spit, roasted potatoes with lots of oregano, various Greek dips such as tzatziki served with olives, spinach and cheese pies, various cheeses liked fried haloumi and of course, a big Greek salad made up of fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, olives and feta cheese. For dessert, we love Galaktoboureko (a traditional Greek custard pie), koulouria (Greek butter biscuits), Tsoureki (Easter bread) all served with a strong Greek coffee.
Which of our wines go well at Easter?
We normally have really nice weather around April so we bring out all our wines. Typically our lighter foods are served with our whites – all three of our Nature’s Step whites pair well with entrees as they are light and refreshing. The meat-eaters will normally pair lamb with our Shiraz while the vegetarians and vegans in the family opt for a lighter red like our Merlot. Dessert is normally served with our beautiful rose!
Traditional foods and large feasts remain an important part of modern Greek life and we wouldn’t have it any other way!
We pray that you all stay safe and healthy during this difficult time in the world and enjoy the time you spend with your families.