Easter is the great festival of spring, celebrating the end of winter and the return of summer, new life abounds in the lighter evenings and warmer days that herald the onset of summer. The celebratory Easter meal is always a major focus especially for those fortunate enough to celebrate with friends and family. For some turkey is the traditional centrepiece while Lamb is the star for others and Salmon also features strongly.

It occurs to me, with abundance of Easter bunnies in the promotional bric a brac it seems that rabbit might be the most appropriate meat for the day. Rabbit however is rarely on the menu, chicken, yes, turkey absolutely, lamb even but of the rabbit little is seen. Food for thought? So what wines to accompany the Pascal feast? You could do worse than start the day with a refreshing glass of Taste the Difference Prosecco Sainsburys £10.00. The attractive apple nose has a hint of honey blossom and the persistent mousse on the palate has a refreshing, lemon peel edge that finishes clean and dry.

If its salmon on the menu, can I suggest the Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay 2013 SE Australia from Waitrose £7.99. The gingery, beansprout edge to ripe, lemony, melon nose goes so well with salmon, while the hint of ginger persist on the rounded lemon flavour on the palate - dry pithy finish, simple but vibrant.

Or, perhaps The Exquisite collection Clare Valley Riesling Aldi £6.99. Which is a gorgeous lime streaked earthy, mineral Riesling with an oily pineapple nose. Juicy and zesty on the palate this is dry but with a good weight of lime fruit and weighty mouthfeel.

Finally The Wine Society have the excellent Dourthe No.1 Sauvignon Blanc 2013 £7.95 Wine Society. A lovely, grassy green, gooseberry, old world style Sauvignon Blanc with a nice weighty, dry, pithy lemon flavour whose complexity would also make it a fine match for Turkey or even oysters.

With the Turkey The Venturer Series Costieres de Nimes Aldi £4.79 is a great value for money option smelling of ripe roasted red fruits sprinkled with pepper and hints of beef. Warm and juicy on the palate with loads red fruit flavours and a good grippy plumskin edge.

Alternatively, if you would prefer a white wine, the Taste the Difference Barrihuelos Rioja Blanco Sainsburys £8.00 has a bright straw colour and a crisp lemony, crunchy vegetal edge that makes it a must with food. My personal opinion is that Turkey is a great partner for all red wines so the following also apply to the Turkey.

Spring lamb almost demands claret and a fine example can be had from Oddbins, the Diane de Belgrave 2009 (2nd wine of Chateau Belgrave) Haut Medoc £17.50 Oddbins has a delicious blackcurrant and pencil shavings nose and a moreish smoky plum and blackcurrant taste which is warming and smooth with good length and a sweetness to the edge edge. Or Taste the Difference Barrihuelos Rioja Crianza 2010 Sainsburys £8.00 whose dark plummy colour and slightly muted dark plummy tones suggest hints of tobacco leaf; soft and easy on the palate with spicy, dark red fruits of the forest flavours and plummy undertones.

When it comes to chocolate look no further than Noval 10 yr old Tawny from Waitrose £24.99, this super Port combines smoky vanilla, cocoa and coffee notes on the nose, with warm red ripe strawberry jam aromas; long, smooth and complex on the palate with spicy coffee and cocoa hints that finish warm and fine. Super with salted caramel or milk chocolate.

If you prefer Dark chocolate then Noval Black Port £ 16.50 from Ocado or Adnams Has a warm plum, candied peel, nose with complex dark figgy notes; smooth and rich on the palate in the classic Noval style finishing with an essential fig fruit core that is long and warming.

Happy Easter.

- John McNerney is an award-winning wine writer, who has been visiting and tasting in vineyards throughout Europe for 30 years, and has experience of professional buying abroad.