​Wine and eggs at the end of the Lenten tunnel

"Well, Oz, it's like this," says I. "Many years after Jesus' ascension, Mary Magdalene visited Tiberius, the Roman Emperor. She gave him an egg as a symbol of fertility and declared,'Christ is risen'. Tiberius scoffed, saying there was more chance of her egg changing colour. Whereupon the egg turned a deep, crimson red with the blood of the resurrected Christ." I smile warmly at the young lad before turning my gaze upon my darling wife, the enigmatic Madame G., as she paints her eggs in the parlour of our lovely home, Rose Cottage. And I think of getting my greedy hands on her delicious chocolate eggs on Easter morning. Whereupon I drool.

"And Ozzie," I continued. "You know why we eat lamb at Easter? The devil may take the form of any animal except the lamb. You see, in the 17th century Benedectine monks wrote a prayer blessing the lamb and protecting it from Satan's wiles. Sadly, it didn't do the lambs much good. The prayer was simply said as grace before a whole lamb was roasted for the Pope's Easter feast. The Lord certainly works in mysterious ways." Whereas I don't. I simply think of my fabulous Madame preparing roast lamb this Sunday. And I drool a little more.

And if you, dear tipplers, have been off the auld vino for Lent, then you'll be desperate to get tore into it on Sunday. If you're having lamb you may wish to match it with the the plump, easy-drinking, supple and delicately spiced 2016 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Toscana (£12, Sainsburys). This full-bodied Italian red boasts ripe, concentrated blackberry and plum flavours, against which subtle earthy spices and notes of black pepper provide a nice contrast.

Alternatively, if you're roasting a chicken, you may wish to opt for today's Wine of the Week, the graceful, light-bodied and deep cherry-red 2021 M&S Classics Beaujolais Villages (currently £10.50, M&S ). A lively Gamay with intense strawberry aromas and subtle spicing on the palate, this silky-smooth and deliciously refreshing drop combines tangy cherry and redcurrant flavours with darker, beguiling hints of cassis.

Anyone dining on fish or vegetarian food may prefer a sophisticated white. In which case, the elegant, delicately scented and gloriously refreshing 2022 Patient Cottat Pouilly Fume (£13, Tesco) should fit the bill. A floral bouquet leads to a smoky, mineral-rich palate with delightful notes of apple and elderflower. My Madame and I will be enjoying ours with her legendary kedgeree in the front garden if the sun deigns to shine.

Fancy a free pint of Heineken? Download the Fanzo app and check where your nearest participating bar in NI is (apparently there's 50 of them) and just pop in and claim your free pint any time from now until June 10. You're welcome. I'd join you but I'll be staying in to enjoy my first evening snack since Pancake Tuesday- snacking was my own Lenten sacrifice. It was a long, hard season.

So while we enjoy our four bottles of wine (at least, if you've been abstaining) and young Oswald enjoys his four eggs (at least, he's also abstained, a little), let's remember to take at least a moment or two to give thanks and praise for the resurrection of Our Lord this Easter (sponsored once again by Cadbury's this year, if I'm not mistaken) Sunday. Till next week, tipplers, sante!