Thanksgiving! The official start of the holiday season. Season of merrymaking, friends, family, too much food, pies, and of course the holiday spirits- in my case all the wine.
But what wine should you bring to Thanksgiving dinner. It is a dinner, usually prepared by different people, and there are several different flavors to contend with; sweet, savory, bitter, creamy and fatty just to name a few. Also should you consider what other people like? Quick answer to this is yes. I love all wine and at a meal like this will have several glasses of different bottles starting with white and making my way towards red. But I have found that my friends and family do not quite have the adventurous palate that I do and tend to stick to either red or white wine- so recommendation number 1: bring both white and red wine to dinner.
Riesling
Without a doubt in my mind Riesling, and i particular German Riesling, is by far the most unappreciated and under-tasted wines, least in California. It is a varietal that most people have heard of before and associate it with sweet wine and at the moment the word “sweetness” is used can be an automatic turn off for some people. As always I encourage all people to keep an open mind with this. It is an extremely versatile wine that can be made in many different styles ranging from dry to sweet. Riesling also has several characteristics that make it easy to pair with all kinds of foods. German Riesling is by far the most popular grape in the whole country so they have taken their time to get it right. They love Riesling so much it has its own classification system, ranking its in terms of dryness (or sweetness levels). I’m not going to get to in depth on the German Riesling classification system except for what I suggest to bring to dinner. We all need more of this in our lives and here is why, the high acidity in the wine makes its a great food wine, acid was meant for high fat and salty food, cheese plate anyone? Also I will take gravy on my potatoes too. Off-dry Riesling will have just a subtle note of sweetness too, very low sugar is perceptible. This greatly helps balance the wine with high acidity in itself. Also when the wine is made in this style makes it highly approachable and easy drinking wine. German style Rieslings’ are also low alcohol making them even easier to sip and snack on.All those picky wine drinkers and eaters will enjoy this gem! Plus when you show with this fancy bottle of wine your relatives are sure to be impressed.
Pairings: Charcuterie, turkey cranberry sauce with gravy, cheese gouda, pates, roast turkey.
Try this one..https://www.winex.com/schloss-lieser-riesling-spatlese-wehlener-sonnenuhr-2016.html
Rosè
Rosè wine are not just for the summer. I recommend serving a great high quality rosè at Thanksgiving dinner. Given rosè wines are still super popular they are easy to find anywhere. The great thing about rosè wines is that they two are very versatile with the flavors that go with them. Since I plan on having at least 2-3 drink through the entirety of dinner (including apps and dessert) I always prefer to start with something light,crisp, and refreshing, rosè is perfect for that. I personally tend to prefer dry style Rosè wines which would definitely pair with all your cheese boards and charcuterie. A rosè that had some residual sugar would be good too, up to you. Your friends and family again will think its impressive just the fact they are being high end wines at dinner. Another great thing about rosè wines is that you don’t have to break the bank in order to get your hands on a nice bottle. Aim for $20 range and try something French or Italian- there is some great wine coming from both these countries and at the right price point. Not only is a classy wine to serve and easy to go with your apps and cheese plates it helps fill the palate of wine flavors. If you are in charge of wines for Thanksgiving always bring the white, red, and now rosè!
Parings: Charcuterie, manchego, chevre, great with all veggies side dishes- not to buttery.
How bout this one? ….https://www.winex.com/catalog/product/view/id/23675/s/cavalchina-bardolino-chiaretto-2018/category/510/
Oaked Chardonnay
Well it’s an American classic and for good reason it will make an appearance here. Yes I am aware that over-oaked Chardonnay’s are falling out of favor and I run into people who say they don’t like their Mom’s Chardonnay and I get it, me too! Some of that stuff is downright awful. However there are a lot of different delectable Chardonnays that done with the “right” amount of oak can bring out the very best of the varietal and make a super scrumptious wine. Also Chardonnay is a super common varietal that everyone is familiar with and will easily have a glass or two just for that reason. A crisp Chardonnay with a medium full body and added complexity from the oak make it a perfect accompaniment to most of Thanksgiving dishes. Think all the cheese and light styled meats- hell yes turkey and ham if that’s what your having. It would also be a perfect pairing for macaroni and cheese if that your family tradition to, it’s not normally one in mine so I am bringing it this year! However there are a lot of Chardonnay’s out there so make sure and pick the right one. I’d go for a bit higher quality label or producer for this one and this is why; you get what you pay for with this wine. Too cheap and you are most likely drinking some lab produced reproduction wine with lots of oak additives, not the natural kind which can really impact the flavor or mouthfeel. Target range would be at least $20 and keep in mind you can get some really nice one for about $30. Again impress your family with a reasonably priced bottle of chardonnay and tell them why it is perfect for dinner!
Painings: macaroni and cheese, roast turkey, ham, pate, cheese, smoked cheeses, gouda, fontine, bearnaise sauce, asparagus and butter.
Try https://holidaywinecellar.com/p-33978-alma-rosa-2016-sta-rita-hills-chardonnay.aspx
And for you big spenders out there https://holidaywinecellar.com/p-32700-chateau-montelena-2016-napa-valley-chardonnay-94-points.aspx
Pinot Noir
Now we get into the reds! This too is an all American classic and a perfect Thanksgiving pairing. Pinot Noir goes with Thanksgiving like: turkey and mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese- you can’t have one without the other. Pinot Noir is a perfect red wine because the varietal is typically made lighter in style, more acid on the palate and less tannin making it a great food wine overall. Again like the wine mentioned above it can go with everything from your charcuterie board, roasted turkey, gravy, garlic, herbs, and rich flavors- try truffle mashed potatoes with this one! Pinot Noir is a very popular grape and is being produced all over the world. Several regions of California produce them, Oregon is famous for them, Burgundy in France is where it all started, and is also a very popular grape in New Zealand. So how do you know what/where to buy? Everyone will have a different answer for you but for me your best deals are 1. Pinot noir from Oregon and 2. Pinot noir from Santa Barbara Country. If you are wanting to really impress some people and want to spend a little more money on a truly exceptional wine then Burgundy is for you my friend.
Pairings: cured meats, smoked or baked ham, grilled vegetables, cranberry sauce, prosciutto, roast turkey and gravy, truffle mashed potatoes
Try https://holidaywinecellar.com/p-33458-foxen-2014-sta-rita-hills-pinot-noir-91-points.aspx
Merlot
Alright now we are getting to the wines for the real red lovers out there. Yes you should have a full bodied red on the Thanksgiving menu. Lets face it, there are a lot of red wine drinkers and they want to know that they are drinking red wine; they want to smell, taste, and feel the wine all the way through the sip. I totally get it, I also want the most out of my red wine and especially this time of year. Nothing makes me feel more comfortable than snuggling up on a cold night next to a fire with a bold glass of red wine in my hand. Merlot is a great Thanksgiving wine in that it has the structure to pair with a red meat, sometimes we do prime rib as I know other families do as well. Merlot would also go well with a pot roast, garlic, and would even go with the turkey if that is still the main course. If you like bigger red wines and are making a turkey I recommend using herbs like sage and thyme with it, it can bring out some herbaceous in the wine and really be a nice pairing. I am also suggesting Merlot over something like Cabernet Sauvignon cause even if we want a full bodied red I do not want it to over power my entire plate. Some cabs might go well but overall I think its goof choice to go with classic Merlot. Again Merlot is a very popular varietal so most family members will be very comfortable pouring themselves a glass. Merlot is also easy to find with all different price points. Your most likely going to find a single bottle of Merlot out of California and that’s fine. Tip for finding a higher quality Merlot versus mass production mess- look for Merlot that is produced from a single American Viticultural Area (AVA). If it is, it will be listed on the label. Wines with the AVA on the label means that most of the grapes had to come from that single region and will most likely (not all the time) mean a higher quality wine was made. Again price point will highly vary but come on it’s Thanksgiving- I highly recommend spending over $10 and will probably find a great wine at the $20 price.
Pairings: pot roast, roasted potatoes, garlic, gouda, fontina, provolone, turkey, prime rib, sage, thyme.
Sangiovese
Okay I am throwing a curve-ball at you now. This vartial you may or may not be familiar with but for you adventurous ones out there this one’s for you! Sangiovese is varietal famous from Italy but is growing in popularity- especially in California where it is starting to be planted. Sangiovese can make a versatile wine depending on the style but is typically has bright acidity- less tannin, and is typically medium bodied. Can have lots of fresh red fruit flavors and hints of spices as well. I honestly came about this pairing by accident but it was a very fortunate accident. I was pulling wine for a Friendsgiving and thought I was pulling a red blend (also a good choice) when much later— as in the bottle had been opened and half empty that I noticed it was a Sangiovese- oops. Well I poured myself a glass and was really surprised how well it complemented Thanksgiving and all the sides. I usually pair Sangiovese with a classic marinara sauce- it goes great with that and never really thought about classic American dinners. Assuming the wine was made to certain degree of quality nothing paired better with my turkey, potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce than the Sangiovese. So if you are feeling brave I highly encourage you all to bring a Sangiovese to dinner. Tell the whole family that is a twist in tradition, unless you’re Italian that you might be drinking a Sangio’ already.
Pairing: Roast Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, fresh herbs, garlic, cranberry sauce, gouda, fontina, provolone.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Did you bring something else to dinner? Let me know!