Give Thanks for Good Wine

As we give thanks for the good things in our lives, let’s appreciate how much wine has improved over the past twenty years and how much good wine is available today. We should do this during Thanksgiving dinner, of course, since wine is the perfect complement to food.

Wine is meant to be consumed with food; good wine and good food are inseparable. When wine’s flavors complement food’s, each tastes better due to the synergistic harmony that occurs in our mouths. The goal of food and wine pairing is to create those fantastic combinations of flavor and tasty sensations that result when the right wine is chosen.

Thanksgiving dinner presents somewhat of a pairing challenge, due mainly to the variety of dishes served. Let’s face it, while a normal dinner includes a main dish with two or three sides, holiday ritual demands a multitude of dishes. Turkey is easy, but the addition of gravy; stuffing; carrots; turnips; mashed and sweet potatoes; butternut squash; cranberry sauce and a host of other, unique side dishes present a cacophony of flavors that influence the wine choice. The solution is to serve one of the “food friendly” wines with the ability to match this wide array of flavors.

Food-friendly wines come in both reds and whites, and both work. They include Beaujolais, champagne and other sparkling wine, Cotes du Rhone, pinot noir, Riesling, and rose. Ripe, fruity New World chardonnays from Australia, California, or Chile provide a number of options and price ranges that also work nicely.

Avoid wines, such as cabernet sauvignon and most red Bordeaux, that would be too over-powering and unlikely to match well with the turkey and flavorful side dishes. Zinfandels are usually high in alcohol, making them less than optimum for food matching. Instead, here are my suggestions for food-friendly, Turkey Day wines:

Riesling. The most food-friendly, flexible wine of all amply demonstrates its ability to wonderfully complement the variety of holiday foods. St. Urbans-Hof Riesling ($20) is from a good producer. It’s slightly sweet, but not too, and mildly and refreshingly tart. Meyer-Fonne Riesling ($22) is also excellent.

Rhone Varietals. Julio’s Liquors’ Tim Korby suggests wines made from Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne make an ideal pairing due to their lush pear, peach and other savory flavors. Originally grown in France’s Rhone Valley, these varietals are now produced in many New World vineyards too. Korby also suggests a Cotes du Rhone as another good choice.

Gewürztraminer. This highly aromatic wine isn’t well known, nevertheless, wine lovers treasure its fruity delights. Go with one made in a drier style. The best come from the Alsace region of France, good news since it provides terrific wines at value prices for the quality delivered. Meyer-Fonne ($28) and Domaine Weinbach ($50) are recommended. Trimbach and Hugel are also good.

Rose. Rose wines often get a bad rap due to the erroneous association many folks make with it to white zinfandel, which can be overly sweet. Truth be told, rose wines are mostly crisp and dry, very tasty and the preferred wine of the European elite during their summer holidays on the French Riviera. Fortunately, you don’t have to be wealthy or a wine snob to enjoy the pleasant combination rose wine makes with the tasty bounty of Thanksgiving table foods. Try Bastianich Rosato ($16), Cantele Negroamaro Rosato ($13), Chateau du Basty ($15) or Corail Cotes de Provence ($22).

Beaujolais. Beaujolais Nouveau, released the third week of November, adds a seasonal touch and makes a good choice. Better yet, Beaujolais Villages offer better quality at the right price. Fruity and light, it can be served chilled. Dubeuf and Jadot are very reliable producers.

Pinot Noir. Low in tannin and smooth and elegant with flavors of berries and spices, pinot noir makes another good holiday combination. I suggest Taz ($25) from Santa Barbara, Davis from Russian River ($45) or JM Pillot Bourgogne Rouge ($30) from France’s Burgundy region.

Sparkling Wines. Champagne and other sparklers work well with the range of dinner flavors and also match soft cheeses and other appetizers well. NV Langlois Chateau Crement de Loire Rose ($30) would be splendid.

You should plan on at least a half bottle (just over two glasses) or more per person. If you have a large group, try a couple of whites and a red for variety. Much of the fun with wine lies in experimenting, so be adventurous.

Enjoy.