Taking the Guess Work out of Thanksgiving Pairings

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! 

Until next time, let your palate be your guide, 

Crystal