What to drink with turkey?

By itself, a roast turkey without too much spice,herbs, and pepper in the stuffing should go at least fairly well with many reds and whites. The black currant jelly does pose a problem, much as cranberry sauce and candied yams do for a US Thanksgiving dinner. I would tend not to serve an expensive wine if the red currant jelly is served. A wine with a bit of sweetness and considerable spice might work. An off-dry Gewurztraminer from Alsace, Germany or elsewhere might work fairly well. So that your guests do not think of you as Scrooge, you could serve a very good Champagne to start the meal or a very good vintage port or Cognac to end the meal. Or you could serve any number of good red or white wines with the turkey for those who are willing to forego the currant jelly, and have the Gewurztraminer for those who must have the jelly. Of course you may need to explain that you will serve either of the two wines, but that you feel that one of them does not go well with currant jelly.

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"Nils Gustaf Lindgren" wrote in news:VVHFb.39489$ snipped-for-privacy@newsb.telia.net:

At my house the concern is more over who will spill the red wine so we stay with white. I tend toward Pouilly Fuisse or St Veran as again my relatives are not people prone to noticing really good wine and I try to save a bit on good not great wine.

In message , Nils Gustaf Lindgren writes

Unfortunately my copy of the Pocket Food & Wine Guide (from Sainsbury's supermarket) doesn't recommend many European options with turkey.

It suggests untannic Australian, Chilean or Californian cabernet, which go well with turkey with pork stuffing that contains fresh herbs (thyme, marjoram, parsley, and a little sage), with onion. Shiraz might also suit. But this doesn't apply for sausage meat flavoured with dry herbs, in particular lots of sage.

It ends by suggesting that food purists that like all the trimmings may have to compromise on wine choice, while the wine purists will have to choose the trimmings to suit their wine.

For roast turkey by itself the book recommends Australian Shiraz Cabernet, so that might be a good one to serve for guests who can do without sauces or stuffing. Not as good as Shiraz are northern Rhone reds.

Champagne is also OK, but softer sparkling wines from Australia, California or New Zealand, made with champagne grapes, are better. The only other European wine it suggests is Spanish rosado made from the Garnacha grape.

It sounds like a lower end, softer, Cotes du Rhone would work with this dish. I think you would want one that is not too tanic. A lower end wine we've enjoyed with a chicken prepared fairly similar to this a couple months ago was a 2000 M. Chapoutier Cotes du Rhone Belleruche. The wine had a fruity aroma with just a touch of oak showing through. It was not very complex, but it had nice acidity with very soft tanins. I'm not sure of the price of the wine in your area, but I purchased mine at Sam's in Chicago during a clearance sale for US$3.27 a bottle.

No guarantees if you load up on the black currant jelly.

Have a happy and safe holiday.

Cliff

] Hello; ] Eldest son came with a news paper cutting, please make this for Xmas: turkey ] with a filling of ground pork and mushrooms, apparently from the treasures ] of the Swedish Brillat-Savarin, Cajsa Warg (in Sweden tied to the saying ] "One takes what one has", which maybe does not make much sense in foreign ] lingos). So the recipe contains little spices and herbs, and should be ] served with boiled peas and black currant jelly. [] Hi Nils,

A young (2000) Ch. La Nerthe would do the trick as well as any!

-E

I'm going for Ch. Musar '91 to start, then some Julio's Vine Cabernet '96 from Gallo, then probably a big Shiraz, Saltram - Barossa '99 or The Neighbours '98 as we are having roast rib of beef as well.

Royal Tokaji '96 with the Chistmas Pud, then some Armagnac for anyone still upright (note to self - make sure mother doesn't finish the entire bottle this year!)

Happy Christmas to all the group,

Mike J

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A well-aged Bordeaux (over ten years) works just fine. With age comes softer tannins and less in your face fruit. And that's from the European side of the Atlantic.

Tom Schellberg