"Time to pick Thanksgiving wines" by Winemaker's Journal

Time to pick Thanksgiving wines

Blog: Winemaker's Journal

November 15, 2012

It's that time of year again when you have to start thinking about what wine to serve with that Thanksgiving turkey.

Many people say this the time to pull out that bottle of Gewurztraminer you've wondering what to do with. You might even want to purchase a bottle for this special occasion. There are many wonderfully fruity and floral Washington Gewurzts to be found for $10 or so.

Dry or sweet Riesling are also terrific white wine choices for this holiday. Some prefer the tangy acidity of a Sauvignon Blanc.

If red wines are more to your taste, Pinot Noir is a traditional feast favorite. Bolder choices include a spicy Zinfandel or Syrah.

The reason these wines pair well with traditional Thanksgiving dishes is because they're all low in tannins. They all pair well with a wide variety of mildly spicy and salty dishes and don't give you that dry mouth pucker that goes well with heavier red meat dishes.

Dazed by too many choices? I'd go with both a white and a red, especially if there's a crowd with many tastes coming for dinner. A Gewurztraminer and a Syrah are likely to please just about everyone.

The easiest way to please a crowd, however, is to purchase a bottle or two of bubbly. Champagne-style wines are perfect for this occasion, both festive and a great match with a varied Thanksgiving menu. Domaine Ste. Michelle is hard to beat for quality and value. I'm also a fan of Spanish sparkling wines like Freixenet or Segura Viudas, both very good bottle-fermented wines that can usually be found for under $10.

My own choices? I'm taking bottles of Jones of Washington Sauvignon Blanc and Saint Laurent Syrah with me when I travel down to California for Thanksgiving with my family. They need a break from all that Napa swill.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

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joanne 6 months ago

Time to pick Thanksgiving wines

Good choices, Rick. And yes, you certainly want to stay away from those terrible wines in Napa! Ha. If you get a chance, go to the Rutherford area, look up Michaela Rodeno,and try her and her husband's Villa Raggazzi Sangiovese. Tell her we said hi. She is the former CEO of St. Supery winery in Rutherford (Napa) and came up here a couple of times to do wine events for us, for the Eno Society.

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