Consider all those different flavors on the Thanksgiving table. We devour everything from salty stuffing and neutral turkey to sweet potatoes and savory gravy, earthy spinach and green beans, and every variation and subtlety in between. Turkey, beef, ham, cheeses, salads, pies, sides, potatoes, the dishes and flavor profiles go on and on.
With all this going on, you shouldn’t worry about serving just the right wine. You’re already stressed enough this Thanksgiving making sure every family constituency is happy. But you will, of course. That’s your nature. Mine, too. At least that’s what I used to think.
Thanksgiving is nearly impossible to pair wines with; you can’t pour just one. But you can’t buy every wine on the aisle either. To make things simple, I like to follow a couple of good rules of thumb.
For turkey, ham and other pork dishes, pinot noir is a classic. The softness of this noble grape variety complements the mildness of these meats, and marries them in a way that few wines can pull off. Hahn Winery 2010 Pinot Noir from California’s Monterey County is a new value-priced favorite at $12. The wine is bright and fresh with nice raspberry-cherry notes, perfect for salmon and roasted veggies. Try Hahn’s even sexier sister bottle from Santa Lucia Highlands and you’ll really have something to gush over ($35).
Beef makes its way to many tables at Thanksgiving. This is a chance to dazzle your family and friends by pulling out some pricey vintage Bordeaux. Depends how close all of you are. However, most of us will opt for solid California cabs. One recent find worth mentioning is Laurier Vineyards 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma’s Alexander Valley ($20). Lots of dark fruit and earthy-herbal impressions come to mind on both the nose and palate. This is one to put out with the crown roast.
Of course, there are always a few guests who simply prefer white wines.
Ideally, you’ll want to start your guests off with whites and progressively move to heavier wines, but, for the folks who start white and stay white, great options abound. Gewürztraminer is a traditional white wine for Thanksgiving. I’ve nibbled on many a bird with a glass of zesty Thomas Fogarty or Chateau St. Jean gewurtz, both from California. A recent Italian import that I’m crazy about is Antinori’s 2010 Bianco Toscana, a racy blend of Trebbiano (think Sauvignon Blanc), Malvasia, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Riesling. The result is a fruit-forward, food-friendly easy drinker. $14.
So don’t get frazzled deciding on just the right wine this Thanksgiving. You won’t find "right" or "wrong" solutions.
Better still, have each guest bring a favorite bottle, and turn part of your meal into a wine discussion. Maybe it will take attention away from your aunt’s not-so-savory gravy.
SPLURGE BOTTLE
Or, just blow everyone away this Thanksgiving and walk in with this showstopper: 2008 Ovid Napa Valley. The wine takes on cult-like status among connoisseurs, and it’s no wonder why. The Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine envelops your palate in a rich blanket of red fruit, cloves, blueberries and nice ginger-sage spice. Winemakers Andy Erickson and Austin Peterson say the wine possesses a “sense of abundance and accumulation.” All hyperbole aside, I understand what they’re saying. If this wine had wheels, it would be chauffeur-driven. $200.
Contact Drinks Editor Mark Nothaft via e-mail and click here and follow him on Twitter. Subscribe to his frequent columns on Examiner and click here.
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