Thanksgiving Wine, Wine Sisterhoodstyle
Thanksgiving wine can be fraught with stress, what with the judging eyes of your family and friends.
Now, the standard recommendation for wine pairing is Pinot Noir. Serve Pinot Noir you can’t be faulted. It’s a light red, easy to pair with protein and all those sides. The other easy solution? Bubbles. Bubbles win on two fronts, they’re celebratory, and their acid cuts through the richness of the food.
As I write this, I realize I could drink almost anything with a traditional turkey dinner. Since the dinner has so many flavors, loads of wines are bound to taste good with at least something on your plate.
But if you’re feeling a little more adventurous,
a little more extravagant,
(hey, it’s the holidays)
then, let’s get a few wines to pair through out the night.
Zinfandel is always a good fit for Thanksgiving. It’s American, it’s a crowd favorite. Deep Purple Lodi Zinfandel is a fine match – all those jammy fruit flavors of blackberry, cherry, and spices that we have come to associate with Zin.
Turkey:
White wines are my favorite to pair with Turkey. A rich, fruity Chardonnay like Monogamy Chardonnay is a dream with any type of roasted bird – especially a Thanksgiving Turkey. An aromatic white like promisQous white helps highlight the buttery characteristics of gravy.
Cranberry Sauce:
Fruity wines pair well with cranberry sauce. Because of its aromas of red berries and cherries, Purple Cowboy Tenacious Red is the perfect wine to balance any cranberry flavor.
Green Beans:
I’m a fan of Middle Sister Drama Queen, a lighter-style white wine that pairs well with vegetables.
Stuffing:
A little more robust red, like Little Chica’s Spanish Temperanillo/Granacha will work just perfectly to stand up to the sausage, dried fruit or garlic flavors in the stuffing. My favorite stuffing recipe? America’s Test Kitchen Classic Bread Stuffing for a Crowd, it’s simply perfect.
Pumpkin Pie:
You could go with something sweet, but I’m going to agree with my mom and serve coffee. If you’ve had all those wines, it’ll be nice to have a break from all that booze.
Helpful? I hope so.
Happy Thanksgivingwine!
(P.S. My friend Erin is a wine superstar up here in St. Helena who believes that you can drink anything with anything. If you insinuate wine pairing around her, she gets a little twitchy. So, there’s even another opinion for you.)
I’m a huge fan of Middle Sister Drama Queen Pinot Grigio, a lighter-style white wine that pairs well with vegetables.
