Marvelous Malbecs. Photo courtesy Trapiche
Vineyards.

If you’re in charge of the wine for Easter, how about trying something new?

Malbec, the signature grape of the Cahors area of southwestern France, has become the signature grape of Argentina. You’re likely to find a nice choice of Malbecs from both areas on the shelves of your wine store.

Malbec is deep purple in color and lush with ripe, juicy berry and plummy dark fruit flavors. Secondary flavors can include herbal, licorice/anise and violet notes.

Malbec will appeal to lovers of the Bordeaux grapes. It has been called “the more rustic cousin of Merlot” by wine expert Jancis Robinson. For many years it has been used in some Bordeaux blends to add deep color, tannins and plummy flavors. In the Loire Valley it is blended with Cabernet Franc and Gamay.

Malbec is also delicious with bittersweet chocolate (see our chocolate and wine pairing chart).

Those who prefer organic, sustainable wines should take a look at the Malbecs from Trapiche Vineyards, Argentina’s largest exported premium wines. The company practices biodynamic agriculture.

Biodynamic is the word used in most countries to describe what Americans call organic. It is actually the most rigorous approach among biological and ecological agricultural practices, with tougher standards than organic.

Biodynamic agriculture supports everything that is natural and forbids the use of chemicals, herbicides and fungicides. It aims for a balanced ecosystem, biodiversity and the recovery of the bacterial activity in the soils. The only fertilizers allowed are the vegetable and animal wastes from a biodynamic farm.

The Trapiche Vineyards Malbec is a rich red wine with aromas of plums and cherries on the nose, hints of truffle and vanilla on the palate and a smooth, full finish. The prices range from $8 for the basic varietal to $41 for the finest single-vineyard Malbecs.

WANT TO HAVE FUN WITH EASTER WINES?

Beyond Malbec, THE NIBBLE’s wine editor, Kris Prasad, recommends wines that are perfect for an Easter celebration:

 
Here’s the full Easter wines article.

It is almost four years since we first discovered Somebody’s Mother’s dessert sauces—Chocolate Sauce, White Chocolate Sauce and Caramel Sauce—and named them a Top Pick Of The Week (here’s the original review). The chocolate sauces remain our favorite dessert sauces.

Now, the company has doubled the size of the line with three new dessert sauces, building on the original flavors:

 
Read the full review.

HOW MANY TYPES OF DESSERT SAUCED HAVE YOU TRIED?

Check out our Dessert Sauces & Toppings Glossary.

For a festive Easter dish, look for purple potatoes. You can serve them baked, boiled with parsley, as fries, mashed or in other favorite dishes. You can make purple gnocchi and potato chips.

Hash browns can become hash purples.

We turn them into a red, white and blue July 4th potato salad, mixed with white potatoes and red grape tomatoes.

The starch level is medium, so purple Peruvians are an all-purpose potato.

They have a creamy texture like russet potatoes and are rich in flavor. Some varieties have a charming nuttiness.

Once a rarity, purple potatoes can now be found markets nationwide.

In addition to the Purple Peruvian there’s a purple-fleshed Okinawan sweet potato, a staple in Hawaii. Look for it in Asian markets.

Your favorite potato dishes can now be charmingly purple. Photo courtesy Wandering Chopsticks. Here’s the recipe.

Millennia ago, potatoes grew wild in the foothills of the Andes Mountains of Peru. Along with many other varieties of potatoes, they were cultivated around 3,000 B.C.E. by the Incas. Today, purple potatoes are grown around the world. Here’s more about purple potatoes and a recipe for a colorful purple potato and beet salad.

For Easter, how about a purple sweet potato pie? Keep it hidden and surprise your guests with the bright purple filling, evocative of jelly beans.

Here’s a purple sweet potato pie recipe from Stokes Foods, a North Carolina grower of purple potatoes, which includes a photo of the bright purple pie.

PURPLE SWEET POTATO PIE RECIPE

Ingredients

Optional Topping

 
Preparation

1. COVER potatoes with water in a medium saucepan. Boil for 45 minutes until fork goes all the way through. Let cool; peel and place in a large mixing bowl.

2. PREHEAT oven to 425°F. Melt butter.

3. ADD all other ingredients to mixing bowl with potato. Use an immersion blender to liquefy ingredients.

4. POUR sweet potato mixture into pie shell.

5. BAKE at 425°F for 5 minutes, then at 350°F for 10 minutes until firm.

6. MAKE the topping while the pie is baking, Melt butter in a sauce pan. Mix in flour, brown sugar and pecans. Stir until thoroughly blended and set aside

6. ADD topping to pie. Bake 350°F for 15 minutes until done.

VARIATION

You can use this recipe to make 12 mini pies using mini graham cracker pie shells. After adding the pecan topping, only bake for 10 additional minutes instead of 15 minutes.

Find more purple potato recipes at StokesFoods.com.