By
Vic Poulos
The family (from both sides) is flying into town for Thanksgiving and you finally have your menu planned. Deviled eggs as an appetizer, the traditional cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and an oven-roasted turkey – of course – for the main course and pumpkin pie for dessert.
But you’ve been so busy worrying about the election result arguments over the dinner that you have forgotten one thing, and now you need to figure it out quickly – your wine pairings! Uncle Jerry will be at dinner and is one of those wine snobs. What will you do?
Unfortunately, with all the clashing flavors of traditional Thanksgiving meals, there isn’t a simple go-to wine that will pair perfectly with everything. As long as you know what you’ll be serving, however, you can create a manageable game plan – and involve a few types of wine. But, who’s going to complain about that at the table? The more wine the better to induce the inevitable turkey tryptophan coma over dessert and the ballgame on TV!
For the perfect holiday dinner party, kick it off with a nice bubbly wine. I frequently remind people that sparkling wine and Champagne aren’t only fun to drink on New Year’s and that they pair excellently with many appetizers. For a nice higher-end selection, look for Veuve Clicquot and its famous yellow label for about $80, or pick up an Italian Sparkling Wine from our winery, Zin Valle, for less than half the price.
Of course, the main dish is likely turkey, and thankfully there are several options that pair well with it. Those who are less familiar with wine often think that Cabernet Sauvignon should always be your nice dinner go-to wine, but avoid the temptation here. Cabernet is a great wine to pair with red meat and steaks, but you need something lighter to pair with the mellower flavors of turkey.
I recommend looking for a good Pinot Noir. Gamay or quality Beaujolais instead. Even a nice lighter Zinfandel will work. These wines are lighter-bodied with less tannins, which won’t overwhelm the turkey flavor. Zinfandel can really run the gamut, so make sure the one you’re picking up is truly light to medium-bodied. My favorite of the bunch is a Cru Beaujolais.
You’ll likely want a nice white wine on the table as well. Chardonnay is generally a crowd pleaser as it’s the most popular wine in the world, or you should also consider a Pinot Gris. Avoid sweeter white wines like Muscato, as they will overwhelm the food.
If you’re feeling a little more adventurous with your white wine choices, consider a Sauvignon Blanc or a Viognier. Look for Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, which provides a great option. After all they were the first nice Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and deserve to be at the table honoring the first celebration in the New World. If you have a little more money to spend on wine, look for a nice white burgundy from Beaune, France. Remember, this is the holidays and your wine-snob uncle might be there – it might be worth spending a little more!
Sides like stuffing, cranberry sauce, and sweet potatoes each demand wine that pairs well with them, and unfortunately, there’s not a simple answer. Look for an Amarone, one of Italy’s best red wines, or again, a Beaujolais from France or a German Gewürztraminer. Zin Valle offers an estate Gerwurtz for around $25. Consider buying some of these less expensive options a week or two before your big dinner “for fun.” Give them a try to see if you think they’ll work well with your particular sides. A Poulos holiday tradition is to just buy them all and try all sorts of different combinations at the dinner table. Why not? Thanksgiving is supposed to be a bountiful feast!
Whatever you choose, just remember that experimenting with wine isn’t a chore – it’s a lot of fun that you can probably get the whole family into! Start hunting for those Thanksgiving wines now!
Salud!
