Wines for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving dinner is one of the biggest feast that Americans get together with family to celebrate the whole year. More time and energy goes into planning and preparing this meal than any other. Wine is also a big hit with Thanksgiving dinner and some time can be put into finding just the right ones to serve, whether you drink red or white wine for Thanksgiving it is pretty much a matter of preference. Both can work well with the range of foods on the Thanksgiving table. But which reds and which whites? The key to successful Thanksgiving dinner wine pairings is versatility. With so many different foods we need a wine that will be able to “go with the flow” so to speak.
Here are a few choices that I have found to go great with Thanksgiving dinner, all have been hits.
The White Wines:
Pinot Grigio: A white wine that goes well with garlic, onions, herbs and food that is rich and flavorful, also great with high-fat dishes, this white wine is a natural for the demands of Thanksgiving Day.
Riesling: A white wine that you can buy either dry or fairly sweet, this is excellent with any dishes that are spicy, salty or sweet. Riesling wines are a top pick white wine for pairing with Thanksgiving dinner. Also goes great with innate flavors like apple and honey.
Chardonnay: A white wine that is a great accompaniment to poultry and an assortment of sides.
Sauvignon Blanc: This crisp white wine with an earthy tone and herbaceous flavors. This wine is great if you use an herb stuffing in the turkey.
The Red Wines:
Pinot Noir 2004: This red wine from New Zealand Pinot Noir is a deep red color and adds a hint of black raspberry, black cherry links and vanilla with a hint of clove to a Thanksgiving dinner. If you serve ham this year this is the perfect wine to go with ham.
Zinfandel: This red wine keeps a balanced effect on traditional side dishes such as yams, green beans and potatoes and gravy. It is a hearty wine with deep flavors.
Non-vintage, Paul Avril, Le Petit Vin d’Avril: A brick colored wine. It is earthy. Its flavors are pastille and licorice like. It’s rather soft bodied despite an alcohol content of 13%. It has an herbaceous aftertaste that seems to linger. I think this is more a food wine than one for sipping and in fact its flavor was enhanced by our dinner.
Beaujolais: A Light, dry red wine with fruity flavors. Choose more recent vintages and serve it slightly chilled. Goes great with turkey.
