Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Each year we gather with family and friends to enjoy the traditional feast.
There is just one problem with the traditional meal...what wine to pair with all of the flavors of the day.
Thanksgiving Dinner truly challenges the palate. You have the savory flavors of turkey, stuffing, potatoes, vegetables, rolls. Then there are the sweet flavors of yams, Jell-O salads, cranberry sauce and pie. Whew! What on earth do you match with all of these palate teasers?
One wine that has always been a favorite of mine for Thanksgiving dinner is Zinfandel. The real deal, not the pink stuff. Zinfandel has the fruit and weight to pair well with many flavors. Some of my personal favorites are Ravenswood "Vintners Blend", Storybook Mountain Vineyards, Fife "Mendocino Uplands" and Seghesio "Cortina".
Another great choice, which will be released right before Thanksgiving, is Beaujolais Nouveau. This wine is fresh, light and meant to be drunk young. If you want one of these wines, get to your local wine retailer on November 14th. This is the release date of these wines. They won't be around for long, to snag them while you can. Drink them now, as these are not meant to age.
Of course, there is also one of my favorite types of wine....Champagne or Sparkling wines. I would suggest a nice Brut. Perhaps Roederer Estate (or their French sibling Louis Roederer), St Innocent from Oregon, J Winery Brut or many, many others.
Now, if you want white wine, rather than red, I would suggest a crisp, clean Pinot Gris. Some of my favorites are Elk Cove, Eyrie (the first winery in Oregon to produce Pinot Gris), King Estate and Lange Winery.
Another good white wine match would be a Gewurztraminer or Pinot Gris from Alsace. These wines are dry, crisp and full of flavor. Some of the best producers are Trimbach, Gerard Metz, Domaine Schlumberger and Bott-Geyl.
So there you have it, a bevy of wines for your big feast!
Cheers!
Kathy
Wine Columnist for KOIN TV's The Grapevine
