Every year, home cooks across the country ask themselves the
monumental question - what should I serve with Thanksgiving dinner? Should I
buy an expensive wine to impress my guests? Will they even my like it?
First of all, take a deep breath and relax! Your in-laws are
likely to cause enough stress. Wine
pairings don’t have to be that hard.
For starters, think about serving a nice sparkling to kick
things off. This can be served with
appetizers as your guests arrive or with that first course. Some of my favorites under $35 include
Chateaux Montaudon from Champagne, France, Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc from Napa and Thibaut Jannison from Charlottesville, Va.
With the main course, I really like having both a red and
white option on the table.
This year I am going with the 2009 Patrick Javillier Bourgogne, a
chardonnay from Burgundy, France and the 2010 NOVY Pinot Meunier from Sonoma County,
CA. Both priced under $30.
Pinot Meunier is a clone of Pinot Noir and is one of the
grapes used in Champagne. It is similar to a Pinot Noir, but somehow more
graceful on the palate. It boasts fruit
notes of raspberry and cranberry in addition to nice herbal and floral notes
which make it a lovely match with that homemade cranberry sauce and
stuffing. I am going to make a sweet sausage and sage stuffing with cranberries, this is sure to be a match made in heaven!
Keep in mind that turkey has a pretty neutral flavor, they are actually quite bland, so you
really want to keep your side dishes in mind when choosing your wines. For red, anything from a Pinot Noir to a
Beaujolais Cru to a Zinfandel can work.
As for white, a nice Sancerre, Pouilly Fuisse or Chablis from France is a
nice option. Pouilly Fuisse and Chablis are both made with the Chardonnay grape, but have I also wouldn’t rule out a
Viognier from Virginia, they are quite lovely. There are so many great ones, I really like the 2011 Viognier from Breaux Vineyards. This wine boasts everything you expect from a Viognier but this also has some nice fennel notes on the palate, making it a nice pairing with a sausage stuffing.
Simply put, think outside the box! Try something new and
have plenty of wine on hand! Happy Thanksgiving!
Have any questions? Let me know, I am here to help!
Have any questions? Let me know, I am here to help!
Until next time, let your palate be your guide,
Crystal
