Mt Difficulty Winemaker, Greg Lane’s top picks for your Easter table

We spoke to Mt Difficulty’s Chief Winemaker Greg Lane for some Easter wine inspiration.

If you’re anything like us, you're probably pondering more over what will be on your Easter table rather than your Easter basket. And you might be starting to think about the perfect drop to accompany your menu. We spoke to Mt Difficulty Chief Winemaker Greg Lane for a little inspiration.

Originally from Adelaide, Greg is a 12-year veteran of the wine industry. His love of Pinot Noir brought him to New Zealand where he honed his craft at Grove Mill in Marlborough and Amisfield in Central Otago.

“If you’re looking for something with lovely freshness, citrus, rich stone fruit and minerality that pairs well with different flavours, then you can’t go wrong with Roaring Meg Chardonnay,” says Greg.

This wine is particularly fitting for Easter with the unique way it is made in huge, colourful concrete eggs at the Mt Difficulty winery.

Eggs and wine don’t typically go together, but in the case of Roaring Meg Chardonnay, they are essential to the fermentation process. They’re perhaps not the eggs you might be thinking of, however; these are 1,800-litre concrete vessels in the shape of an egg.

As opposed to an oak barrel or stainless-steel tanks, these eggs bring a lovely richness and weight to the wine. “The curvature of the eggs creates a natural convection so the wine is constantly in motion, naturally building a creamy, rich texture without needing to stir the wine as we would in a barrel,” explains Greg. 

“With Roaring Meg Chardonnay, we want to keep the wine in that nice, fresh, bright spectrum. The concrete vessels are fantastic for that. It gives us the weight and the creaminess and the lees contact, but our amazing Central Otago fruit remains the hero,” says Greg.

If Chardonnay isn’t your go-to, Greg recommends Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2019. With luscious dark cherry, dried wild herb, a touch of savoury spice and silken texture, this iconic Central Otago Pinot is sure to impress your guests. It's perfect with Lamb, such as our Easter Slow Roast Lamb with Rosemary, Garlic and Vine Tomatoes.

For something really special, Mt Difficulty Ghost Town Pinot Noir 2016 is handcrafted in very limited quantities from Mt Difficulty's Bendigo Vineyard in Central Otago. Dark cherry and wild berry with lashings of savoury spice and lavender florals lead to a dense, dark berry palate. The wine finishes with savoury structural tannins enveloping the wine with a flourish. A real Easter treat that would pair perfectly with our Ultimate Beef Wellington.

Find your perfect match this Easter by picking up a bottle from the Mt Difficulty range from your local stockist or shop online now at mtdifficulty.nz

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