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Thanksgiving Flavors Deserve an Array of Wines

Robert Whitley

Many wine enthusiasts view Thanksgiving, with its combination of savory and sweet influences, as the ultimate challenge in wine and food pairing. I beg to differ, seeing the smorgasbord of flavors as the ultimate opportunity.

This is my chance each year to serve an array of wines that represent various styles and levels of dryness/sweetness. Remarkably, it seems to work. But I must confess that when I embarked on this, my own tradition, many years ago I was cautious to a fault.

It was daring, once upon a time, to present my holiday guests with a red and a white served at the same time. Back in the day, it would have been Pinot Noir for the red and Chardonnay, or occasionally Pinot Blanc, for the white.

I had kicked the Beaujolais with turkey habit -- the conventional wisdom at the time -- because, frankly, I was looking for wines with a bit more complexity and refinement. That said, I now find that many cru Beaujolais, such as Morgon or Fleurie, accomplish what I'm striving for, so I've gradually worked Beaujolais back into the mix.

Because the better cru Beaujolais are still considerably less expensive (generally well below $20 per bottle) than Pinot Noir from California or Oregon, those planning on a big crowd for the holiday feast, and working on a limited budget, may want to see what's available at the local wine shop.

Cru Beaujolais is simply Beaujolais that bears the name of the village where the grapes were grown. This is a step up from Beaujolais Villages and generally exhibits more body, complexity and grip, i.e., tannin.

If price isn't a primary consideration, then domestic Pinot Noir is my top option for a red with roasted turkey with all the trimmings. Although California was slow to figure out Pinot Noir and lost valuable ground to Oregon through the 1980s, the best values in premium Pinot Noir now come from California.

Pinot and Beaujolais are perfect for the Thanksgiving table because both are versatile with enough bright fruit to handle the sometimes sweet, sometimes salty trimmings that accompany the roasted bird. And neither is heavy or ponderous, generally exhibiting soft tannins that won't overwhelm the delicate flavor of white turkey meat.

For a gaggle of friends and family, I would choose modestly priced wines from solid producers, such as Merry Edwards, who offers both Sonoma Coast and Russian River bottlings in the $35 to $40 price range, considerably less than her vineyard-designate Pinots.

Other California Pinot producers worth seeking out are Morgan, from Monterey County and not to be confused with the Morgon of Beaujolais, Bouchaine and Saintsbury of the Carneros district and Domaine Carneros. Slightly more difficult to find but equally worthy of consideration would be Dutton- Goldfield, Sojourn Cellars and Papapietro Perry -- all of Sonoma County.

Beaujolais isn't as easy to source as it once was. Georges Duboeuf is a massive operation that dominates the U.S. market. The wines are well made and reasonably priced, but I'm more inclined to buy from a smaller producer such as Potel-Aviron if I can find it. Negociants such as Maison Louis Jadot and Drouhin also produce excellent Beaujolais at competitive prices.

Chardonnay is a much easier proposition because it is the most commonly planted white grape in America's premier wine regions. Many of the same producers who also make fine Pinot Noir also do equally well with Chardonnay.

This wine makes a good match for turkey because of its weight on the palate and it's sometimes oily structure that complements the dark meat of the bird. Talbott Sleepy Hollow Vineyard ($35) is one of the best in that vein. California produces a number of very good Chardonnays in the $20 and under class, including Truchard, Cambria, Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve, Ventana and Bouchaine.

Perhaps the best value in tasty Chard is the Bogle Vineyards Chardonnay at $8. This fruity, well-balanced Chard is hard to beat at that price.

Anyway, wines of this type will form the core group of what I serve for Thanksgiving. They're delicious, noncontroversial and sure to find a receptive audience.

Then there are the fun wines I throw in just to be playful, and hopefully introduce friends to outstanding wines from off-the-beaten path.

Rose, for example. Iron Horse, the highly regarded sparkling wine producer from Sonoma County, makes two beautiful roses, one from Sangiovese and the other from Pinot Noir. Both wines retail for about $20. They are dry, complex and refreshing. They have the added benefit of pairing nicely with savory appetizers as well as the main event.

Roussanne is another wine that raises eyebrows but makes everyone smile in the end. Truchard's is one of the best, and Bonterra's organic Roussanne is excellent as well. Both retail for less than $20. This is a white grape famous in France's Rhone Valley, but it has performed well in California. It typically exhibits flavors of yellow peach and apricot, with a slightly oily texture.

For those who must have red wine, even as an aperitif, there is the fruity Dolcetto of Italy's Piedmont region. Pio Cesare's 2008 Dolcetto d'Alba is a wonderful example of the genre and can be found widely for less than $20. Dolcetto is often called the Beaujolais of Italy since Dolcetto, like Beaujolais, is best served with a slight chill, which brings out the fruit, oddly enough.

Last but not least, I always offer a bit of bubbly on Thanksgiving Day. It serves two purposes. First, bubbly is extremely good with salty dishes and a great match for tapas or appetizers before the meal. Second, it's festive and good to have on hand for the inevitable rounds of toasts that accompany a day of giving thanks.

Prosecco from Italy's Veneto region is both delicious and economical. At my local Italian market, I can always find a selection of outstanding Prosecco priced in the $12 to $15 range.

Canella and Bisol are a couple of my favorites, but they can be hard to find. You won't go wrong with light and lovely Prosecco from Minonetto and Cavit, which are produced in substantial quantities and generally retail for around $10 a bottle. Most Prosecco, even brut Prosecco, will have a hint of sweetness and plenty of fruit. Perfect as an aperitif.

There is no need to limit your selections to these particular wines. The Thanksgiving feast has flavors for every palate. So should the wines.

To find out more about Robert Whitley and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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This news arrived on: 11/17/2009

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