If you're lucky enough to be one of those people whose mother or grandmother slaves for three whole days on cooking up a fantastic Thanksgiving spread and all you have to do is show up, unbutton the top button of your Sunday trousers, and gorge, good for you! But if you're anything like the non-cooking members of my family, chances are you're at least asked or expected to bring the wine. Which proposes an excellent and controversial question:
How does one pair wine with a Thanksgiving spread?
There are so many different side dishes and flavors on each Thanksgiving table that knowing which bottle of wine to bring can be very confusing and intimidating. From cranberry relish, to white and dark meat turkey, to herb filled stuffing, pickled this, peppered that...is there really one bottle of wine that can see you through the whole meal? Even among the most educated wine scholars, this very issue is argued in depth each year.
If you research this topic on the internet, you'll find every recommendation under the sun from champagne to cabernet sauvignon. But don't be overwhelmed. Just stick to a general rule of selecting drier whites with some acidity and light-bodied reds with elegant tannins that will accompany the turkey nicely but will not be wiped out by the flavors of the other side dishes.
As far as whites go, here are some agreed upon favorites:
The innate flavors of apple, apricot, and honey and the acidity of a good, drier style Riesling give it a significant pairing edge with dishes like sweet potatoes, turkey meat, and spice-laden stuffing. Be careful when choosing a Riesling that you choose one that's got some acidity on the finish and that's not cloyingly sweet. We like an Alsatian Riesling (that means it's from Alsace, France) for its dryness. Washington Rieslings can also be appropriate because while it's a New World wine, some have a toe in the Old World style, making for an overall crowd pleaser.
A personal Thanksgiving favorite for Mr. Fork and I is Gewurztraminer. If you choose a good one, it has some oomph on the nose but a nice spicy palate that appeals to the flavors in turkey and gravy quite nicely.
For some red wine options, try these:
Pinot Noir is an easy choice. It's lighter body and usually elegant mouthfeel, appeals to a crowd and it's earthy flavors, usually with some mushroom undertones, is an easy pair with the flavors traditionally found in turkey and stuffing.
Want to try something new this Thanksgiving? Pick up a Beaujolais Nouveau, made from the Gamay grape. It's light bodied, usually fruit forward, and has little tannins, making it an easy pair for your turkey and its friendly side dishes. Best part is, there are a lot of Beaujolais bottles at great values so you'll be bringing a French bottle of wine which looks very fancy and impressive without dipping into the savings account. But don't go looking for one just yet. Under French government laws, these bottles aren't released for sale until the third Thursday of November. These wines are meant to be drunk young, so no need to hide it in the dark corners of your closet for your unborn child's high school graduation party. Drink it now.
At the end of the day, don't get wrapped up in all of the do's and don'ts. If all goes as planned, the focus will be on all of the things we all should be thankful for this year. Good wine being one of them.
Happy Thanksgiving from Mr. and Ms. Fork!
xo,
Ms. Fork
How does one pair wine with a Thanksgiving spread?
There are so many different side dishes and flavors on each Thanksgiving table that knowing which bottle of wine to bring can be very confusing and intimidating. From cranberry relish, to white and dark meat turkey, to herb filled stuffing, pickled this, peppered that...is there really one bottle of wine that can see you through the whole meal? Even among the most educated wine scholars, this very issue is argued in depth each year.
If you research this topic on the internet, you'll find every recommendation under the sun from champagne to cabernet sauvignon. But don't be overwhelmed. Just stick to a general rule of selecting drier whites with some acidity and light-bodied reds with elegant tannins that will accompany the turkey nicely but will not be wiped out by the flavors of the other side dishes.
As far as whites go, here are some agreed upon favorites:
The innate flavors of apple, apricot, and honey and the acidity of a good, drier style Riesling give it a significant pairing edge with dishes like sweet potatoes, turkey meat, and spice-laden stuffing. Be careful when choosing a Riesling that you choose one that's got some acidity on the finish and that's not cloyingly sweet. We like an Alsatian Riesling (that means it's from Alsace, France) for its dryness. Washington Rieslings can also be appropriate because while it's a New World wine, some have a toe in the Old World style, making for an overall crowd pleaser.
A personal Thanksgiving favorite for Mr. Fork and I is Gewurztraminer. If you choose a good one, it has some oomph on the nose but a nice spicy palate that appeals to the flavors in turkey and gravy quite nicely.
For some red wine options, try these:
Pinot Noir is an easy choice. It's lighter body and usually elegant mouthfeel, appeals to a crowd and it's earthy flavors, usually with some mushroom undertones, is an easy pair with the flavors traditionally found in turkey and stuffing.
Want to try something new this Thanksgiving? Pick up a Beaujolais Nouveau, made from the Gamay grape. It's light bodied, usually fruit forward, and has little tannins, making it an easy pair for your turkey and its friendly side dishes. Best part is, there are a lot of Beaujolais bottles at great values so you'll be bringing a French bottle of wine which looks very fancy and impressive without dipping into the savings account. But don't go looking for one just yet. Under French government laws, these bottles aren't released for sale until the third Thursday of November. These wines are meant to be drunk young, so no need to hide it in the dark corners of your closet for your unborn child's high school graduation party. Drink it now.
At the end of the day, don't get wrapped up in all of the do's and don'ts. If all goes as planned, the focus will be on all of the things we all should be thankful for this year. Good wine being one of them.
Happy Thanksgiving from Mr. and Ms. Fork!
xo,
Ms. Fork
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