Wines For Your Holiday Feast
As we get closer to the holidays, many of you are preparing your holiday menus, and the wines you will pair with them. With so many flavors and variety of dishes in the typical Thanksgiving meal, the easiest way to pair your wine is to choose ones that complement a variety of foods.
Light-bodied reds are a great option, wines that have enough fruit and acid to enhance the food but not overwhelm it. Some good choices are Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Grenache/Garnacha, and red Zinfandel. Your white wine should also be lighter and not overly oaky, well-balanced with good acidity. Try Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or Albariño. Of course, rosé is always a good choice, as well as sparkling wines and champagne.
Pinot noir is always a great choice to match with food, especially when choosing a lighter more elegant style.
DREW MID-ELEVATION PINOT NOIR (Mendocino, Calif.): Drew Vineyards was started in 2000 by Jason and Molly Drew. Jason has had almost three decades of winemaking experience, working alongside some of the best winemakers in California at Corison, Joseph Phelps, St. Supery, and Luna. “The Mid-Elevation Pinot Noir is absolutely gorgeous,” Antonio Galloni writes. “The 2018 is wonderfully translucent and yet there is still plenty of depth too, a combination that is super appealing. This is a wonderfully inviting nuanced Pinot Noir.”
Beaujolais is also a good choice for a Thanksgiving feast, whether you choose Beaujolais Noveau, Beaujolais, or Cru Beaujolais, the Gamay grape, like Pinot Noir is very food-friendly.
DOMAINE DE LA MADONE LE PERRÉON (Beaujolais, France): Le Perréon vineyards are some of the finest in the Beaujolais region. Domaine de la Madone is located on the slopes of Madone Hill in Fleurie. This wine is certified organic, the vines generally range from 40-60 years old, with some as old as 100 years. This delicious wine has expressive aromatics of baking spices, blueberries, and raspberries. It is concentrated and balanced with a long finish. A great value!
Another wine that is very versatile and matches well with food is Garnacha from Spain. I always enjoy drinking Spanish wines. There are so many really good choices that are also great wine values.
VINA ZORZAL MALAYETO GARNACHA (Navarra, Spain): The wines of Vina Zorzal are made in an organic and natural manner. They are very fresh, clean and delicious. Malayeto is a beautiful single vineyard wine that is definitely one of my new favorites. Robert Parker writes that “the palate is incredibly elegant, seamless and balanced with very fine tannins, very good freshness. A wine with great finesss, in its finest vintage to date.”
Sangiovese is also a great light red perfect for pairing with all the foods for your Thanksgiving feast.
IL POGGIONE ROSSO (Tuscany, Italy): This very famous Italian estate is mostly known for its delicious Brunello, but it also makes some very fine Rosso from estate vineyards. The aromas of this wine are classic Sangiovese: tart cherries, toasted spices, violets, and apple blossoms. It is medium-bodied, silky, has good ripeness and a rounded supple texture.
And for those looking for some wonderful white wines to pair with your turkey, Riesling is a great choice.
TREFETHEN FAMILY VINEYARDS DRY RIESLING (Napa Valley, Calif.): Trefethen Riesling is consistently good. This is a very dry and crisp style of Riesling made from estate-grown grapes. A vibrant and refreshing wine, bright with fresh flavors of white peach, nectarine, and honey crisp apple. It has beautiful acidity and minerality.
A bright crisp Sauvignon Blanc makes a good accompaniment to a Thanksgiving meal.
DOMAINE PELLE MENETOU SALON MOROGUES (Loire Valley, France): A fourth-generation, family-run winery in the village of Morgues, in the appellation of Menetou-Salon. Menetou-Salon is the great white from the Loire Valley region that many people have never heard of. There are only 30 wine producers in this appellation, making wines that are very underrated. Like the top Sancerre from Chavignol, the Pelle wines are drinkable upon release, and are capable of aging beautifully for 10-15 years. If you enjoy Sancerre you should love this pure and ripe, mineral driven wine. John Gilman’s assessment: “… crisp, full bodied, succulent, with a long complex and very classy finish.” A beautiful wine!
CHATEAU PIBARNON ROSÉ (Bandol, France): Chateau Pibarnon’s vineyards are located in Provence, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. This is an outstanding rosé every vintage. Unlike the very light strawberry style of many rosés, Chateau Pibarnon is a more complex rosé that becomes even better with age. Vinous Media’s review notes this wine’s “powerful, mineral-accented, white peach, raspberry and melon scents and floral nuances. Red berry, blood orange, nectarine, and lavender flavors. Strikingly long finish!”
The wonderful characteristic of sparkling wines is that you can drink them on their own as an aperitif, or serve them with a wide array of food, and continue serving it through dessert.
SCHRAMSBERG ROSÉ (Calistoga, Calif.): In 1965, Jack and Jamie Davies purchased and renovated the Schramsberg estate, and starting producing sparkling wines. The rosé is made from 64% Pinot Noir and 36% Chardonnay. This is a complex and dry wine with delicious flavors of orange peel, raspberry, strawberry, with notes of vanilla and honey. It is bright clean and fresh, very pretty.
SCHRAMSBERG BLANC DE BLANC: The Blanc de Blanc sparkling is made from Chardonnay grapes. It is dry and crisp, with fresh fruit flavors of Meyer lemon, golden apple and pear, and a hint of cinnamon. It has a long, clean, vibrant finish.
Quick tip: The quickest way to chill wine is in a mixture of ice and water for 20 minutes.
I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season.
Stay well and please drink responsibly!
