Deviled Eggs

There’s no doubt that making deviled eggs is a genius use for all the eggs you’ve dyed. However, deviled eggs have a few qualities that make them inherently difficult partners for wine. For one, their savory yolk filling coats your mouth and can easily dull the taste of anything in your glass. For another, the flavor of eggs’ natural sulfur compounds is amplified once they’ve been hardboiled (cooking intensifies the perception of eggs’ sulfur, but hard-boiling also traps the gas inside the eggs’ shell, making it extra potent).

A pop of sparkling wine is the best way to outsmart both these undesirable qualities. Sparkling wines’ high levels of acidity and effervescence counteract deviled eggs’ creamy and unctuous yolky filling, while its delicate fruit flavors emphasize the filling’s delightful tang and the egg white’s more neutral taste. While most bubbles would be delicious accompaniments, lighter styles like Prosecco, Pétillant Naturel or dry Sekt would be best.

Asparagus Tarts, Gratins and Beyond

Unfortunately, many of the season’s freshest flavors also happen to be the trickiest to pair. And thanks to its organosulfur carboxylic acids (naturally occurring compounds that make a lot of wines taste bitter or metallic), asparagus is more tricky than most. The best way to get around it all is to is to choose a crisp and compelling sparkler. Prosecco is a good wine for asparagus dishes, as its lighter, fruity aromas and flavors, and delicate bubbles will counter the vegetable’s grassy-green notes. Alternatively, Champagne (or its good-value substitute, Crémant) is another delicious wine for asparagus thanks to a toastiness and opulent texture that would highlight asparagus stalks’ sweeter tones.

Stuffed or Steamed Artichokes

Like asparagus, springy artichokes possess chemical compounds that can make them difficult to match with a variety of wines. However, if you account for the biggest party pooper—cynarin, which can make wine seem sweet or bitter, depending on your taste buds—you’ll find artichokes and wine can actually work quite well together.

Once again, sparkling wines’ refreshing acidity is what makes it a top choice for this Easter mainstay. For steamed or simply prepared artichokes, Prosecco is a delicious option because its gentle fruit flavors won’t overwhelm artichokes subtle, somewhat earthy tones. For more robust, flavor-packed preparations like those stuffed with garlic, cheese and breadcrumbs, try Cava. With a more pronounced bubble and persistent acidity, it will cut through the big, fatty-savory flavors of the artichokes’ stuffing.