What you need with succulent, well-basted meat, cooked slowly and served to a throng of family and friends is a great bottle of wine (or two) to go with it.
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that light, thin, delicate styles won’t work here, so what exactly makes the perfect bottle for a roast?
With crowd-pleasing roast chicken
Full-bodied whites are the way to go with chicken. You could crack open a chilled Viognier, or a white Rhône, but I reckon Chardonnay’s generous, ripe flavours are unbeatable with a buttery roast bird. Head for South America for great-value Chilean or Argentine Chardonnays.
With tender roast pork
Roast pork can be paired with red and white wine. Hurrah! Lots of choice, then, but you do need to observe some simple rules. A light, tart white won’t work, but a creamy white Burgundy or fulsome, ripe Chenin Blanc is just dandy, especially if your pork comes with apple sauce. Reds are a slightly safer bet overall; you can’t go far wrong with a soft Rhône style or a juicy New World Pinot Noir.
With luscious spring lamb
Now you can roll out a big gun. Lamb works brilliantly with a ripe New World Cabernet Sauvignon or a spicy, peppery Shiraz. For a real treat, pair roast spring lamb with a fine bottle of red Rioja Reserva (there’s one recommended in my top 10 wines for Easter), premium Californian red Zinfandel or a lovely, grand St-Emilion from Bordeaux. You get the deal – lamb and most rich, full-on red wine is fab.
With succulent roast beef
Beware partnering roast beef with a heavyweight, full-bodied red wine. Beef doesn’t need something that, well, beefy! It isn’t nearly as rich as lamb so it’s best matched with medium-bodied reds. I especially recommend the tangy strawberry fruit of a good Italian red here. Chianti Classico, Brunello or Dolcetto would top my list. A top Beaujolais from Morgon or Fleurie is another safe bet.