It’s almost that time again… time for a day filled with tradition, thanks-giving and copious amounts of eating! But while everyone is discussing what to cook for Thanksgiving dinner, what we drink with this very special meal can often be overlooked. If your Thanksgiving is anything like mine, it involves a day of togetherness – cooking coupled with lounging during the day, sitting down to a labor of love in the evening.
Thanksgiving day can be complex, early gatherings lasting late into the night. I’ve compiled my suggestions for what to drink on Thanksgiving below – a variety of choices that are sure to please everyone in your family, no matter how finicky their taste.
Z loves to run across the street to fill up with one of their ever-changing, hand-crafted brews. In my mind, there is never a bad time for a glass of sparkling wine. Be it champagne, prosecco, cava or California-made, there is an instant sense of celebration in every effervescent sip. One of my favorite ways to serve cava or prosecco is with a variety of juices and pureed fruit, allowing guests to create their own cocktail.
Happy Beaujolais Nouveau Day! Just like Thanksgiving, it only comes one time of year! Beaujolais Nouveau wine, from the Beaujolais region of France, is celebrated as the first release of the year, after the harvest in the vineyards is complete and it is time to commence with the holiday season.
By French law, Beaujolais Nouveau is released on the third Thursday of November and not one minute sooner. We won’t be able to buy it in the states until Monday, November 19, 2012. It is an extremely young, fruity, light red wine, and meant to be so. A celebratory drink, Beaujolais Nouveau is not intended for aging but to be enjoyed at this moment – the 2012 bottle, that is. And it happens to compliment Thanksgiving flavors beautifully.
Bright and fun on the palate, it doesn’t overwhelm and offers refreshment during an otherwise heavy meal. Make sure to serve slightly chilled and allow it to take you from day to night. Oh and the best part? It sells for under $12!
Turkey-Time
As it always is with family, everyone has their preferences and tastes can vary greatly. I recommend offering both a red and a white wine, setting each place-setting with two glasses. Encourage your guests to sample a little of each wine with the food. This is my favorite way to pick out distinct flavors in a wine as it’s character always stands out when countered with another glass. Of course, any leftover bubbly, beer or Beaujolais Nouveau are welcome to the party. For those wines that, I believe, bring out the best in Thanksgiving dinner, I recommend the following:
But only if it has seen little to no oak contact. Chardonnay with oak treatment is luxurious and rich, often described as buttery. Delightful with the right food, it could stand to be overpowering and uncomplimentary to the turkey and endless variety of sides that come with this annual meal. Un-oaked chardonnay is softer, lighter on the palate but still slightly tart with green apple notes.
If you ask me, pinot noir plays nice with just about everyone. Vibrant and full, it remains slender on the palate and generally offers cherry notes while remaining dry. It will stand up to a rich gratin while still complimenting the cranberry sauce. Pinot noir will allow the turkey to shine (it is the turkey’s day, after all) and will offer refreshment after a hearty bite of stuffing.
~Gewurztraminer~
Disclaimer: this is one of those new wines I mentioned at the beginning of this post. Gewurztraminer and I, we’ve only recently met. But I can already tell it will be a beautiful friendship. In my reading, it was noted as pairing exceptionally well with spicy foods. It also has a beautiful bouquet, presenting itself as soon as you pop the cork. Floral with herbal notes, I really enjoyed the bottle of The Furst Gewurztraminer Z and I recently shared over dinner. Ask your local wine merchant for their recommendation.
This grape is powerful and crosses many angles of the flavor-spectrum, making it a great partner to Thanksgiving dinner, when countless dishes are displayed, moving from sweet (sweet potatos) to rich (gravy). It will counter certain food, exposing more flavor, while complimenting other dishes, letting them shine. Go out on a limb with gewurztraminer and keep an open mind. It’s good for you!
I would also like to take this opportunity to say that I am thankful to YOU – my foodie-friends. Foodie-Girl is now one-year old and I could not be more grateful for all of the love and support you have shown me over the past year. On this Thanksgiving I raise my glass to YOU – Cheers!
Lindsey McClave has a deep love for food, wine and travel. While she has no intentions of becoming a chef or a sommelier and doesn’t consider herself an expert in any culinary area, she is obsessed with learning.
She says, “the one thing I’ve taken away from my wine travels is that wine is meant for everyone – rich, poor, and everywhere in-between.” Whatever cooking becomes to you, she encourages you to find that foodie place, embrace it and run with it.
