What to drink with Easter Colomba: great classics and unusual pairings between wine, beer, and cocktails

We've tasted so many, never like this year. Obviously, we're talking about Colomba, among the most transversal gastronomic symbols of the Easter period that we are about to face. Whether they are artisanal or industrial Colombas, we also want to recommend something to pair them with, starting, of course, with wine.

Classic Colomba and Moscato: a pairing that never disappoints

We will never repeat it enough: sweet with sweet. And in Italy, we are certainly not second to none for the variety and quality of dessert wines. Let's start with a great classic, with the concrete risk of being also banal: as with panettone, for Colomba we can confidently refer to an excellent Moscato d'Asti. There's an embarrassment of choice: if we want a fresher and more fragrant version, and at the same time complex, faceted, and deep, we can call Gianni Doglia who has once again amazed us with his Moscato d'Asti Canelli Casa di Bianca this year. If instead, we want something more opulent and voluminous, without falling into heaviness, then it's time to turn to the Vite Vecchia di Ca' d' Gal, a Moscato d'Asti that comes out after a few years from the harvest, proving that this type, as already widely written on other occasions, gives great satisfaction even after moderate aging.

Moscato d'Asti

• Moscato d'Asti Canelli Casa di Bianca 2022 - Gianni Doglia
• Moscato d'Asti Vite Vecchia 2018 - Ca'd'Gal

We stick with Moscato, but we move away from Piedmont. Not too much actually. Difficult to find, because they are produced in very limited editions, but endowed with great richness, both aromatic and gustatory, as well as innate elegance, are the Chambave Muscat Passito from Valle d'Aosta: look for the Prieuré de La Crbotta di Vegneron and the Flétri de La Vrille. Let's stay in the north to propose another Moscato Passito, this time from Alto Adige: the Baronesse di Nals Margreid. We move to Sicily but we don't change grape variety: yes, because the Zibibbo is also called Moscato d'Alessandria. Two proposals: an iconic name, the Ben Ryé by Donnafugata, and a label of a small reality in Ustica, the Zhabib Passito by Hibiscus.

Moscato Passito

• VdA Chambave Moscato Passito Prieuré 2020 - La Crotta di Vegneron
• VdA Chambave Muscat Flétri 2021 - La Vrille
• A. A. Moscato Giallo Passito Baronesse 2021 - Nals Margreid
• Passito di Pantelleria Ben Ryé 2020 - Donnafugata
• Zhabib Passito 2022 - Hibiscus

Sweet wines from noble rot

If, instead, we are dealing with a Colomba characterized by a rich glaze with abundant almonds, then we must also increase the gustatory complexity of the wine. We can rely on sweet wines from noble rot. We recommend three, all from Umbria:

• Muffato della Sala 2020 - Castello della Sala
• Orvieto Cl. Sup. Muffa Nobile 2021 - Palazzone
• Orvieto Cl. Sup. Muffa Nobile Calcaia 2020 - Barberani

Stuffed and covered Colomba: pairings to try

But Easter doesn't live on classic Colomba alone. For the greediest, who just can't do without chocolate, there are those stuffed or covered. We need more intensity and we will find it in the Recioto della Valpolicella: mark on the shopping list the A Mariasole by Venturini, the Moron from the Domini Veneti line of Cantina Valpolicella Negrar, and the Sant'Ulderico by Monte dall'Ora. However, do not underestimate the freshness and fragrance of a good Brachetto d'Acqui (two names Le Casette di Alice from Cantina Alice Bel Colle and Pineto from Marenco) or the Mediterranean warmth of the Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale: Lo Apu by Masseria Jorche, Macchia by Cantina di Lizzano, and Madrigale by Produttori di Manduria.

Recioto della Valpolicella

• Recioto della Valpolicella Cl. A Mariasole 2012 - Venturini
• Recioto della Valpolicella Cl. Moron Domini Veneti 2018 - Cantina Valpolicella Negrar
• Recioto della Valpolicella Cl. Sant'Ulderico 2015 - Monte dall'Ora

Brachetto d'Acqui

• Acqui Secco Monteridolfo 2022 - Cantina Alice Bel Colle
• Brachetto d'Acqui Pineto 2022 - Marenco

Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale

• Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale Lo Apu 2021 - Antica Masseria Jorche
• Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale Macchia 2021 - Cantine di Lizzano
• Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale Madrigale 2021 - Produttori di Manduria

Colomba and beer: an intriguing pairing

But if instead, we want to go beyond wine and look for some other intriguing pairing? Well, beer comes to our aid. Certainly not the simple low fermentation lager. We have to dig into Belgian styles where we find the tripels, rather alcoholic beers with a golden yellow color and a white foam hat that herald olfactory profiles reminiscent of yellow-fleshed fruit and honey; in the mouth they are rich, soft and the sweetness felt at the attack is immediately balanced by a dry and dry finish. If we want to try a very daring but stimulating pairing, we can stick with beer and in Belgium. If you have a palate accustomed to strong contrasts, look for the Fou Foune by Cantillon, a lambic enriched by the presence in the recipe of Bergeron apricots: a sip of extreme acidity in which a fresh and irresistible fruity nuance peeps out.

Colomba and cocktails

Finally, some advice also on the cocktail side: why not accompany a nice bite of Colomba with a Mimosa (sparkling wine and orange juice in equal parts), a Tequila Sunrise (tequila, orange juice, and grenadine), or a classic Screwdriver (vodka and orange juice)?