Adultify Your Easter Basket Treats with Wine Pairings

Egg hunts may be intended for kids, but the sweets and snacks found in most baskets can suit grown-up tastes, particularly with the right wine pairing. (Yes, really, you can wed wine to Peeps.)

Whether you opt for a pre-made Easter basket or prepare your own, we’ve found the perfect wines to pair with, from an exceptional Pinot Grigio to enjoy with jellybeans to a rich Portuguese red that’s practically made for chocolate bunnies. (Another option: Have your candy and drink it too with this indulgent Cadbury Egg cocktail.) 

Here are a selection of wines handpicked by the Wine Enthusiast tasting team to match Easter’s most delicious treats, and fun facts about the origins of your favorite Easter goodies. 

Peeps with Sparkling Wine

The chick- and bunny-shaped marshmallow candies now synonymous with Easter once required an astonishing 27 hours to create. Thanks to automation, the process now takes just six minutes per Peep.

For a pairing to complement the squishy sugar bomb, our tasting department recommends a bright, textured aged crémant from the Loire Valley. 

Wine Enthusiast recommends

Langlois 2017 Cadence Extra Brut Sparkling (Crémant de Loire)

Soft, subtle and seamlessly-integrated aromas of brioche, golden apple, white peach and pureed pear open on the nose followed by toasted almond skin and white blossom. Bright and textured on the palate, the aged crémant is enlivened by toasted orange zest and honeysuckle on the lifted finish. Editor’s Choice. 92 Points — Reggie Solomon $42 Saratoga Wine

Chocolate Easter Bunnies with a Portuguese Red

Why all the bunnies on Easter? Some say the word Easter derives from Ēostre, a Germanic pagan goddess of spring and fertility whose animal symbol was a rabbit. Whatever the reason, chocolate becomes extra delicious when it’s molded into bunny form.

We think a rich red wine from Portugal’s Douro Valley is the perfect partner for chocolate in general, but especially bunny-shaped chocolate. 

Wine Enthusiast recommends

Quinta do Vale Meão 2021 Red (Douro)

The latest release of this top wine is as impressive as ever, a rich medley of flavors enhanced by 16 months in wood. The black fruits combine with structure to give a wine with a great future. Drink from 2028. Cellar Selection. 98 Points — Roger Voss

$140 Wine.com

Jellybeans with Pinot Grigio

Legend has it that the earliest documented mention of the jellybean was in a Civil War-era ad. The circa-1861 advertisement supposedly promoted sending the bean-shaped candy to Union Army soldiers (though others claim that it was actually Necco Wafers that were sent to soldiers). It wasn’t until the 1930s that jellybeans became a prominent part of Easter baskets.

As for pairing, we think this lovely Pinot Grigio from the Dolomites does the trick. The wine is pale cherry colored, too, which feels perfect for spring. 

Wine Enthusiast recommends

GRAWÜ 2022 Pinot Grigio (Vigneti delle Dolomiti)

In a brilliant shade of pale cherry, this wine captivates the eye. The aromas unfold with pure and beautiful notes of baked red apple skin, spice, wild herbs, and gently warmed cherries. Delicate rose nuances intertwine with fine, textured tannins, leading to a palate lifted by tartness and electric acidity. Culminating with defined mineral finish, truly exceptional. Drink Now – 2040. Editor’s Choice. 95 Points — Jeff Porter $72 The Wise Old Dog

Jordan Almonds with Soave

Thanks to their thin, pastel-colored sugar shells and egg-like shape, Jordan almonds are a favored Easter basket find. Sugar-coated almonds have also long been associated with fertility, and were said to have been present at the wedding feast of Catherine de Medici.

Soave makes a crisp and refreshing pairing for the sweet, crunchy snacks. 

Wine Enthusiast recommends

Pieropan 2022 La Rocca Garganega (Soave)

Opening with aromas of ripe golden apples, fragrant jasmine, toasted almonds, and delicate acacia honey with a profound minerality that emerges as the wine opens. The textured, layered palate is a work of art, with apricots, baked pear, and hints of cinnamon and nutmeg leading to a stunning mineral finish. Cellar Selection. 98 Points — J.P. $49 Wine.com

Easter Bread with Oaked Chardonnay

Whether you bake a braided, egg-glazed loaf or hot cross buns, serving sweet bread has been an Easter tradition for centuries. Hot cross buns, specifically, were once thought to strengthen friendships and even ward away evil spirits.

We’d pair the brioche-like bread with this balanced, refreshing Chardonnay from Australia’s Victoria region. 

Wine Enthusiast recommends

Giant Steps 2022 Tarraford Chardonnay (Yarra Valley)

Of this producer’s trio of single vineyard Chards, Tarraford is the most immediately lovable and refreshing now thanks to a salt-flecked citrus note throughout. It combines with subtle vanilla, toast, nougat and flint characters. The palate is seamlessly balanced with some weight and power but also lovely lifted acidity and texture. Drink now—2032. Editor’s Choice. 96 Points — Christina Pickard $84 Solano Cellars

Easter Eggs with Cava

Egg dying started with early Christians of Mesopotamia, who stained eggs red in memory of the blood of Christ, though the decoration of eggs as a springtime ritual spans many religions and can be found dating back to Africa 60,000 years ago.

Crisp Cava stands up wonderfully to the richness of hard-boiled eggs—no matter their color. 

Wine Enthusiast recommends

Vins El Cep 2018 Gelida Gran Reserva Brut Sparkling (Cava)

This Cava is almost clear to the eye, has a diffuse column of bubbles and a nose of Gala apple and jasmine. It feels full in the mouth with bold effervescence on the palate. Brioche, lemon zest, green apple and toasted-nut flavors evaporate into a soft vanilla and citrus-blossom finish. 94 Points — Mike DeSimone $20 Wine.com

Cadbury Creme Egg with Italian Dessert Wine

Among the most popular sweet treats associated with Easter are fondant-filled Cadbury Creme Eggs, which first appeared back in 1923. The egg, as we know it today, however didn’t hit shelves until 1971. Cadbury—a prominent Quaker—considered chocolate, cocoa, coffee and tea as viable alternatives to the evils of alcohol.

Finally, a dessert wine. This intensely aromatic red dessert wine from Piedmont offers vibrant candied cherries on the palate and balances its sweetness with mouthwatering acidity. 

Wine Enthusiast recommends

Marenco 2015 Passri Passito Brachetto (Brachetto d’Acqui)

This wine is most unexpected, yet worthwhile to find and try. It opens with intense aromas of fig, honey, wildflowers and prunes. Candied cherries explode on the palate as mouthwatering acidity balances the sweetness and keeps the palate fresh. A wine for a picnic, a smile or a red-berry-centric dessert. 93 Points — J.P. $41 Saratoga Wine

More Wine Pairing Coverage

• Mastering the art of food and wine pairing may seem intimidating, but these tips will help guide you.
• Some foods—artichokes, cabbage, eggs—are really hard to pair with wine. We did it anyway. 
• Perhaps no pairing is quite as harmonious as Champagne and crispy, salty snacks. 
• If you’re avoiding booze at the moment, we put together a guide to pairing non-alcoholic wine with everything from cheese to oysters.

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