Easter is the celebration of spring
The rebirth of nature but also of life itself
The Christian Easter, or commonly Easter or Glory, and especially the Resurrection of Christ or simply Resurrection, is the most important celebration of Christianity.
The tear of the Virgin Mary, the water of life, Agioneri, or the holy water according to the tradition of the monks of Mount Athos could not be missing from the table of the feast of Orthodoxy.
At the table of Lambri where the Resurrection and the rebirth of spring are celebrated, the holy tsipouraki usually takes its place early, next to the roaster (often the host) in a corner for good, as if warming up before enjoying barrels of resin, rich tannic reds, barrels of high acidity white or dry sparkling wines. With anise or without to accompany the salt, the pickle, the olives, the Easter egg with the coarse salt and the pepper, the cold dry cooking left over from the night of the Resurrection, the cheese and so many other snacks that aim to open the appetite and carry the participants until the first goodies come out of the grill. The family and the guests slowly gather around the barbecues and the crackling of the red eggs gives and takes with Christ Resurrected and the Truly the Lord is heard until the lucky one of the day emerges whose egg will come out unscathed from the folded cracks .
As time goes by and the company grows, snacks corresponding to the post of the roaster take their place at the main table with the first salads, the tzatziki, the hot cheese and the rest of the ointments to make their appearance. Green cheeses, smoked eggplant salad and baked or french fries slowly complete the festive table. At this stage any varied or non-varietal tsipouro can whet our appetite and give the baton to the wines of the Easter table. Moschata, Rodites, Fileria and so many other indigenous or non-indigenous varieties have a way of preparing us for meat consumption especially after a long period of fasting.
In some places such as Volos, Pelion, Tyrnavos, Ioannina and Crete he never leaves the table and continues until the end to accompany the rich snacks of Lambri, a day that is traditionally offered to gossip and gossip if you are a visitor from house to house or one of the grill makers who first have access to the grill and spit. As the years go by, lovers of Greek spirits in more and more areas of Greece carry tsipouro as an accompaniment until the end of the Easter symposium. Tsipouro is definitely the ultimate appetizer for the start of the Lampriati pancake but also a very interesting accompaniment for the Easter table able to dress all the stages of meat eating and to replace any wine with dignity.
If in the grilled appetizers the pork with the sausages, the pancakes, the Thessalian kebab or the kontosouvli has its honor, a multifarious tsipouro of red varieties of the Peloponnese Daraios or a buttery multi-variety of red tsikoudia will make us red They sigh with pleasure and will prepare us for barrels of resins or rich red wines, as an accompaniment to a well-baked spear.
However, we can extend the warm-up for a while. Besides, according to an opinion from Volos, after the first everything else is second! Thus, gardoumbakia, splinander or kokoretsi bind perfectly with monovarietal spirits such as a metallic Siderite Spirit of Parparousis or a blend of merlot, syrah and rosaki of Eothin, acting as ideal precursors in case we want to continue with rich red wines.
The stuffed goat in the wood oven with its herbs will surprise us how well it matches a crystal triple distilled Mr Grape of Daraios or a low-grade Syrian tsipouro from Monemvasia and Assyrtiko by Makryonitis. You will tell me that a barrel rich in acid Santorini will work well but there are those who prefer spirits. An old saying of the ubiquitous sea bream states that the wine is known for sore throat. About appetite…
In the case of the greasy spear with the crispy skin, spirits such as a single-variety tsikoudia from Syrah of 35 N or a Mouchtaro of the Lost lake distillery full of red fruits give us the feeling of continuity. If we do not want to try something very special because of the day, let’s match a cask strength aged seven-year-old tsipouro such as the Puro single barrel, the deep smoking twelve-month aging 35 N or an Agioneri Islay cask finish by Tsilili next to the lambs with butter and caramel the barrel smoke to supplement the oiliness and the wood or charcoal smoke. Somewhere here the wine lovers of Xinomavro, Agiorgitiko, Mavrodafni, Mavrotragano, sparkling, and other natural or non-natural wines will veto but as we said before, about appetite…
After the end of the meal and before we cut the evening curves for the cold lamb, the syzuma or the pilaf (you understand that again one last night tsikoudia from Moschato Spina of 35N will fall on the leg) that is where the Easter bun, the syrupy sweets and the rich buns of butter, egg yolks, mastic and vanilla take their place on the table with a round floral and fruity Malagouzia distillate from Lost lake distillery or a perennial aged sauvignon blanc of the celebration of love and hope. Lovers of sweet or semi-sweet wines let us forgive days that are. From now on I dream of declaring la vie est belle with an aged tsipouro from Debina of Zoinos next to a baklava from Giannio, caressing my belly with a feeling of fullness and happiness.
We forgot to say some Easter chocolate eggs, but let’s leave these for minors or next time we will match chocolates, coffees, nuts, dried fruits and spices with aged Greek spirits.
Until then, good Resurrection, love and tsipouro!