The Right Thanksgiving Wine

   Choosing wines for Thanksgiving dinner can be a tough but enjoyable challenge.  There are so many different dishes on the table that selecting a wine to go with all of them is nearly impossible.  A few guiding principles can put this decision behind you.

   As a rule of thumb, try to avoid very robust, heavy or tannic reds.  These wines are better for another occasion.  Thanksgiving meals are typically made up of numerous tasty, milder and sometimes sweet dishes like sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and green beans.  A big dry red will overpower most of these delectables.

   Instead, go for a lightly sweet or fruit-driven dry white wine or a dry rosé that can go with a wider variety of foods.  Riesling can be an excellent choice for Thanksgiving. Choose carefully, though, because Rieslings are made from completely dry to extremely sweet.  You don’t want something too sweet with turkey and potatoes and gravy.  On the other hand, you don’t want something so dry that it won’t go with candied yams. Examples from the Colorado fold include Rieslings from Stoney Mesa Winery, Carlson Vineyards or Plum Creek Cellars.

   Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc can also be quite versatile.  Ask for a fruit-driven wine, such as Hermosa’s 2004 Chardonnay.  Another good option in this class is the Holy Cross Abbey 2005 Sauvignon Blanc.

   Gewurztraminer is another variety that can perform very well at the Thanksgiving dinner table.  Again, it is made in a wide variety of styles, from very dry to very sweet.  Try one that’s just slightly sweet or off-dry.  This will maximize the pairing capabilities.  One great example is the 2005 Gewurz from Stoney Mesa.  It has great varietal character and has only about 2% residual sugar.

   Another type of wine that does very well with the plethora of dishes found during this holiday is a dry rosé.  This wine is not to be confused with a white zinfandel, as it has no residual sugar.  Instead it relies on its other virtues, such as crispness and mild fruity aromas and flavors to help support the other delights at the table.  It’s a very un-selfish wine.  Garfield Estates makes a nice one called Vin Rosé.

   There may be a large number of people at the table, with varying preferences.  Couple that with the fact that there will be a wide variety of foods.   Consider getting two or three wines for the main meal, and one very sweet wine for dessert, such as the Somerset from Plum Creek cellars or the Apple Ice wine from Mountain Spirit Winery in Salida.  Speaking of dessert, a good tip is to avoid serving a dessert that is sweeter than the wine.  It will make the wine taste flat, uninteresting and possibly bitter.

   As you can see, successfully matching wines with a Thanksgiving meal is not merely a matter of picking out your favorite wine.  Consider the full spectrum of dishes that will be there and remember that everything is better when shared with family and friends.

This article appeared in the November 15, 2006 edition of the Grand Junction Free Press.

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