Thanksgiving wines

It depends on what is being served. A turkey with heavy gravy, yams, green beans and cranberry sauce marries well one set of wines, while a different menu or sauce can do well with a different set.

Generally speaking as a white, I like a riesling from Germany, New York State or the Pacific NW. If you serve sauerkraut as they do in Baltimore, a gewurztraminer from Alsace is good.

As for a red I like zinfandel since its almost an American grape and can stand up to heavier sauces. For lighter sauce a beaujolais village or a cru beaujolais works or a light bodied burgundy or Oregon pinot noir. Stay away from beaujolais nouveau just released unless you like grape juice.

There all sorts of possibilities- raw oysters and muscadet; garlicky dishes and wines with Sauvignon blanc from the Loire, Graves or California or an Italian white called arneis.

Unless you are roasting game or beef stay away from Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot; ditto chardonnay unless with seafood.

Finally wines from the chenin blanc grape from the Loire and the West Coast range from off dry to sweet and are usually undervalued and make a good substitute for riesling.

Enjoy!!!!!

For dessert moscato d'asti is very versatile there are Italian and California versions.

Hi, Joe knows his wines. He has made good suggestions.

For a Turkey feast: I like to start with a riesling by the fire place while enjoying the aromas of the food cooking.

I personally would drink a Vidal or a cool climate high acid Chardonnay. Their must be a good Washington State, Yakima Region Chardonny on the market. I would think a Napa Valley California, Chardonnay would also be fine. I personally find warm climate Chardonnays too mellony for a heavey meal. I think that is why Joe recommended staying away from a Chardonnay.

The cool climate white is more grapefruit like and help you break down the fat in the gravy. I am at the age my body tells me things. I have learned to listen.

I Like reds. I have been known to drink a Cabernet Franc with Turkey. Others on this post my may disagree strongly, If so, take note.

Merlot is good with salmon and beef. It brings out the fishy in salmon and the meaty in beef.

All the three classic Bordeaux are good with beef Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Merlot is the most velvety and lower in acid.

I am Canadian and in close proximity to great Niagara Ice wines. I like an ice wine as a finnish: A Hillebrand EstatesTrius Vidal Ice Wine is excellent. I do not know where you are, so I do not know if it is available to you. Hillebrand is a division of Andres Wines.

Take care and have a great Thankgiving

Bob Patrick

Hi Al, First, let me qualify my response by saying we always have a traditionally bland Thanksgiving supper. We would like to try turkey on the grill, but my wife's siblings wouldn't be very receptive. That considered, we usually have an inexpensive Riesling that non-wine drinkers always enjoy. For a few of our more wine savy guests, we'll be serving several Pinot Noirs (recommended by the folks in this NG) - Argyle, Artesa, La Crema, and of course, Rex Goliath 47 lb. Rooster. We'll also put out a Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel (for me and a few others).

My mouth is already watering - more for the wine than the turkey. :-)

Dick R.

Dolcetto is always a good match with turkey, as is Chianti.

This Thanksgiving will be my first time trying the Rooster (to go with the turkey). I'm also bringing a 1982 Ch. Durfort-Vivens and a 1983 Dow Vintage Port. Always looking forward to seeing what my two brothers will bring.

I would like to thank everybody for your excellent suggestions. I believe I can start shp around now.

Although I'm not the original poster of the request for suggestions, I just wanted to add my thanks to everyone as well! Great information!

Haha, I hear that. I've been trying for years to get the rest of my family to go for lamb at Christmas. Unfortunately, it's always the same "traditionally bland Thanksgiving" turkey even for Christmas. Sometimes with Ham thrown in.

happy eating, K

A real farm turkey is truly delicious, unfortunately the industrial monsters that are sold everywhere in North America are revolting fibrous tasteless things that require tons of cranberry sauce jsut to be able to swallow all that rope...

The more reasonably sized birds available at butchers here in France are very good, although for best results I would cheat and buy a capon and not tell anyone about the substitution. Still, capon is very expensive.

A good Burgundy red, or one of the more elaborate Langiuedoc whites would do well (Daumas Gassac was a recent success).

Mike

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

Mike:

I agree with you about some of the Hormone Probed Monster Turkeys. We usually order an organic bird. They are leaner and quite a bit smaller around the 12 to 14 pounds or 6 to 6.5 Kg. and they are much more flavourfull and tender. My wife and I are a little more than concerned about the hormones and other steroids being fed to livestock. It could affect the wine.(little humour). I know several grape growers who are very careful about what goes on their soils and plants. They maintain if you poison the soil, you poison the wine, and those who drink it. Why do not more people think that way.

Take care

traditionally

"traditionally

Many people *do* think that way, Bob. Organic agriculture is the fastest-growing segment of the agriculture business today. Biodynamic winemaking is becoming quite common on both sides of the Atlantic, and organic farming is even more widespread in viticulture. Even here in the middle of Indiana, no one's idea of a trend-setting region, there are two organic groceries and the local supermarkets stock organic produce, organic dairy items and have an "organic" section in one corner of the store.

Mark Lipton

Mark

Mark,

Nice to hearabout the growth in organic agriculture. We are about to get an All Foods store here in Oakville in the next month or so. It is under construction. it is a Texas based organic grocery chain. Almost all of our grocery chains around the Greater Toronto Area have an organic section. We take advantage. We belong to a local Alternatives co-op organic store. My wife introduced me to organic foods while we were dating about 8 years ago. We have been married 6.5 years now. If you read other parts of this news group you will see that I am in my 60s. You probably already know from last week I drive an Outback made in your State. It is my second one. They are great!

Take care

Bob Patrick