Wines For Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving can be a fun time to try a whole slew of new wines or it can be a day to keep to tradition, but whatever your fancy, it is a time for wine! The flavors of Thanksgiving are all across the board and since most people I know do not course out their meal you will have so many different flavors on your plate that picking that "perfect" wine is quite the challenge. As with all the dishes on the table I prefer to have a variety of wines to choose from, not only is it fun to taste a bunch of different wines but it can be a good discussion piece between friends and family.

Here are few ideas to get your palates ready for one of my favorite days

1. I always like to start with sparkling wine here are some of my choices for the holiday. Fantinel Prosecco ($9 - $12), Navarran Cava ($9 - $12), Sharfenberger ($15 -$19), Domaine Carneros ($19 - $25), Charles Hedisieck Bruit ($29 - $40)
2. I implore everyone to please try at least 1 white with their dinner. There are so many choices but this year I will be exploring the following grapes. Chenin Blanc from regions such as Vouvray and Montlouis (look for the drier versions). Chenin is an AMAZING T-day wine. It has a depth, beauty and aromas of Asian and Comice pears, chalky minerality and bright acidity. Dry Rieslings from Alsace, Austria and Australia (look for Clare Valley) are great wines for this day. Also check out Rhone grapes like Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussane.
3. Rosé. Dry rosés are great as they offer bright and fresh cherry, cranberry and strawberry aromas and cool and clean acidity that helps wash down the Turkey. Look for roses made from Pinot Noir, Grenache, and Sangiovese.
4. For red,  I am HOT HOT HOT on Cru Beaujolais. It is important to stress CRU. There are 10 villages in the region that are labeled under their village name and are called Cru's. My favorites are: Julienas, Moulin-a-Vent, Chiroubles and Morgon (These are the Cru names not brands). So why Cru Beaujolais? These wines are vibrant, balanced and complex and also tend to have a really high value to quality ration. The wines can be medium bodied to dense and concentrated, but overall they all carry a true sense of place and are great wines for the flavors of Thanksgiving. I also really enjoy Pinot Noir from all over the world. If you have not tried a Pinot from New Zealand, please rush out and look for a few (Berridge from Central Otago and Martinus are great finds). I will also be having a Montapulciano d' Abruzzo, due to its bright fruit and balanced acidity.

Overall I'm looking for wines that can stand up to all the flavors of Thanksgiving but will not destroy them at the same time. I try to pick wines higher in acidity because of all the fat in most of the dishes and lower in tannin so my palate will not be fatigued by all the food and the wine at the same time.

So explore and have fun! The key is to drink what you love!

Cheers!

Comments

[zach]

I've been meaning to try the Morgans as well. I have heard good things. Keep up the good work on the blog.