Amazing Grapes Wine Blog

I think I’ve made the point already but in case you haven’t read all the previous posts – Thanksgiving dinner this is my favorite meal – period! Not sure why that is quite frankly – it just is. I’m not going to bother with suggestion for the food menu, as this is packed with everyone’s family traditions, but the wine . . . that’s where I’m sticking my nose in. This is the fourth and last installment in a series of articles where I discuss the wines I recommend one-by-one.

Trying to pair wines for a Thanksgiving dinner is tough and because on any plate you will find a wild swing in flavors; salty, sweet, earthy, smoky, creamy, acidic—and don’t forget Grandma Evelyn who only drinks white Zinfandel — a nightmare for any wine person to match.

Just like the meal that is served buffet style, my strategy is to serve the wines this way too. Just open a few different bottles and leave them in the center of the table. This way everyone can choose what they like.

With turkey, even though I’m partial to Pinot Noir as I said in the last post, another great red to have with the group of bottles in the middle of the table is Zinfandel. Turkey is a versatile meat that goes well with many different types of wine, but Zinfandel’s could be the perfect wine to complement the bird.

Zinfandel is generally thought to have made it’s way to America by way of Croatia, where the grape is known as Crljenak Kaštelanski. Zinfandel is much easier to say! The name Zinfandel was coined in America, so it fits in with the traditions of the holiday. Zinfandel is not only a zesty, berry-fruity red, but can also be a spicy tannic beast. I’ve also experienced examples of Zin’s that have been soft and simple, but usually they are highly-alcoholic versions.

Because these wines generally offer a round and balanced berry flavor, anyone can enjoy them. So, no matter how experienced with wines someone is, (most of us started with the ‘white’ version) Zinfandel will be very enjoyable for all your guests.

I’ve picked out some great Zins to serve with Thanksgiving dinner, all fruity and most with interesting touches of oak or licorice that really make them unique – all of them available at Amazing Grapes Wine Store. Click on the hyperlink to read the tasting notes for each.

Prices can vary quite a bit, so I’ll group them in to price categories of low, medium and high. Regardless of your budget, they’re all delicious:

Low price:
Gnarly Head 2006 Old Vine Zinfandel – $8.98
Brazin 2007 Old Vine Zinfandel – $13.49

Medium price:
Adobe Road 2006 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel – $30.98
Kuleto 2006 Zinfandel – $31.98

High price:
Lamborn 2005 Howell Mountain Zinfandel – $36.98
Hartford 2000 Hartford Court Vineyards Zinfandel – $69.98

Thanksgiving dinner this is my favorite holiday – bar none! Not sure why that is quite frankly – it just is. I’m not going to bother with the food menu itself, as this is packed with everyone’s family traditions, but the wine . . . that’s where I’m going to butt in. This is the third installment in a series of articles that will discuss the wines I recommend one-by-one.

Trying to pair wines for a Thanksgiving dinner is tough and should be addressed at this point because on any plate you will find a wild swing in flavors; salty, sweet, earthy, smoky, creamy, acidic—and don’t forget Grandma Evelyn who only drinks white Zinfandel — a nightmare for any wine person to match.

Just like the meal that is served buffet style, my strategy is to serve the wines this way too. Just open a few different bottles and leave them in the center of the table. This way everyone can choose what they like.

With turkey, I’m partial to Pinot Noir. I just happen to like Pinot Noir a lot! Its lighter weight pairs well with the turkey and its elegant – just the right thing for a special meal like Thanksgiving. There are hundreds of good Pinot Noirs on the west coast, but I especially love the Pinot’s from the Santa Ynez Region and Oregon. Why two different regions? It’s probably a good idea to have multiple selections on the Thanksgiving table, so as to please the various palates and preferences. It’s also advisable not to try and pair every bite with a sip of wine. Cranberry, for example, goes with nothing!

Here are my Pinot Noir suggestions to buy for Thanksgiving – all of them available at Amazing Grapes Wine Store. Click on the hyperlink to read the tasting notes for each. Prices can vary quite a bit, so I’ll group them in to price categories of low, medium and high. Regardless of your budget, they’re all delicious:

Low price:
Emerson 2007 Pinot Noir – $15.98
Melville 2008 Estate Verna’s Pinot Noir – $18.98

Medium price:
Cardwell Hill 2007 Pinot Noir – $21.98
Longoria 2006 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara – $24.98

High price:
Ken Wright 2007 McCrone Vineyard Pinot Noir – $46.98
Brewer-Clifton 2006 Lindsay’s Pinot Noir – $74.98

Thanksgiving dinner this is my favorite holiday – bar none! Not sure why that is quite frankly – it just is. I’m not going to bother with the food menu itself, as this is packed with everyone’s traditions, but the wine . . . that’s where I’m going to butt in.

This is the second installment in a series of articles that will discuss the wines I recommend one-by-one or in today’s case – two wines. Because Thanksgiving is usually a lengthy affair, it presents a perfect opportunity to pour a couple of different white wines – after all, isn’t abundance what Thanksgiving is all about? The wines today are Gewurztraminer, preferably from Alsace and Rieslings from Germany.

Riesling, while no longer as popular as it used to be in the US, is considered to be the best and noblest variety of all. Rieslings are vibrant, floral and fruity with mineral aromas and flavors. No wine goes better with food. The crisp acidity, fruitiness, and low percentage of alcohol make Rieslings’ a great food pairing choice almost anytime, and especially for Thanksgiving.

Wine importer Terry Theise says, “Once people try German Rieslings at Thanksgiving, they’ll never drink anything else. I recommend off-dry (Spatlese) versions, because a touch of sweetness matches the sweetness in this meal. The dry wine you think you will be great with the Turkey will be castrated by the candied yams.” Now there’s an image for you!!

If you are interested in something different and a tad exotic, try a Gewurztraminer from Alsace (a region in France). Gewurztraminers, which means “spicy grapes,” are distinctive, very aromatic wines with honeysuckle-rose petal and lichee-apricot-grapefruit aromas and flavors and a rich, luscious, almost oily texture. They’re full bodied white wines and complement the heavier parts of a meal. Their spicy tendencies go well with the cranberry sauce, stuffing and other side dishes.

Robert Parker once wrote in Food and Wine magazine about the wines he pours at Thanksgiving; “I believe that the stuffing dictate the type of wine that should be served,” he said. “Our stuffing is … a spicy, boldly flavored bread, sausage and celery combination …. While the turkey itself has relatively straightforward flavors and could easily be matched with a multitude of medium- to full-bodied white wines, the addition of the sausage and aromatic poultry seasoning in the stuffing requires a wine of considerable richness and unmistakable personality.” That wine, Parker wrote, is an Alsatian Gewurztraminer.

Here are my suggestions on which Rieslings and Gewurztraminer’s to buy for Thanksgiving – all of them available at Amazing Grapes Wine Store. Prices can vary quite a bit, so I’ll group them in to price categories of low, medium and high. Regardless of your budget, they’re all delicious:

Low price:
Reuscher-Haart 2007 Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Spatlese – $22.98
Helfrich 2007 Gewurztraminer – $9.98

Medium price:
Baron Knyphausen 2007 Erbacher Steinmorgen Riesling Spatlese – $32.98
Mill Creek 2006 Gewurztraminer – $13.98

High price:
Domaine Ostertag 2006 Muenchberg Alsace Grand Cru Riesling – $54.98
Gundlach Bundschu 2006 Rhinefarm Vineyard Gewurztraminer – $20.98

I’ve been waiting all year to share this series of articles about wines for Thanksgiving dinner because this is my favorite holiday – bar none! Not sure why that is quite frankly – it just is. I’m not going to bother with the meal itself, as this is packed with everyone’s traditions and far be it from me to screw this up, but the wine . . . that’s where I’m going to butt in.

This is a first in a series of articles that will discuss the wines I recommend one-by-one, starting with the first wine, which I think should be champagne. First courses can run the gamut at Thanksgiving, but typically think of pairing champagne with nibblers, a cheese course, hors-d’oeuvres or even by itself to wet the palate. If you have planned dinner by courses, champagne would be the first course pairing.

By virtue of its name and the fancy packaging, champagne screams “top shelf” before it even get’s poured. Why? To begin with, champagne is a gigantic pain in the neck to make and can only be made in towns within the region of Champagne. Have you ever wondered why “champagnes” are referred to by other names, such as Cava, sparkling wine, prosecco, in countries that are not France? This is because the French have trademarked the names of their wine regions, bestowing the name of champagne to the exclusivity of wines produced in the region Champagne. The trademark prohibits anyone else referring to their wine as champagne, thus the different names other countries have been forced to invent. Pretty cute of the French, eh?

Although most champagnes are “white” in appearance, they aren’t really a white wine. Why? Champagne is typically made from a blend of three grapes, two of which are red: Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The third grape is Chardonnay, which usually amounts to a third of the blend. If the champagne is made with Chardonnay grapes only, it’s called blanc de blancs; if it’s made with all red grapes, it’s called blanc de noirs.
Rosé champagnes are usually made from a blend of white and red grapes, some of which are allowed to show off their salmony pink color. Rosé champagne is usually made by producing a batch of red wine and then blending it with a clear wine, though some producers go to the trouble to bleed the red color from the grapes into the white wine during fermentation, a technique called saignée.

The quality of olive oil is determined by which pressing it comes from, the first or second. Extra Virgin olive oil comes from the first pressing and is considered the best olive oil to buy. Prestige cuvée champagne is from the first pressing and can be very expensive. Most champagnes are produced from the second pressing of the grapes.

Champagne’s are categorized by how sweet they are and use strange terms (just more French weirdness). Here’s how to decipher the terms:

Brut: This is the driest, or no sweetness, of all champagnes. Extra dry: Less sweet. Sec: Means “dry” in French, but it indicates a wine that’s sweeter. Demi-sec: Means “half-dry,” in French and it’s even sweeter than Sec. Doux: very rare champagne and the sweetest of all. Though we just witnessed champagne being sprayed all over baseball players who’ve won various baseball league championships, it is more than just a wine for celebration; it pairs beautifully with almost all foods. Typically the more expensive the bottle, the more complex the champagne, so serve the vintage (single year) and prestige cuvées with the main courses. For red meats, consider a rosé champagne, which packs the power of real Pinot Noir. For dessert, consider a sweet demi-sec.

Here are my suggestions on which champagnes to buy for Thanksgiving. Prices can vary quite a bit, so I’ll group five of them in to price categories of low, medium and high. Regardless of your budget, they’re all delicious:

Low price champagnes:
Cristalino NV Brut Cava $6.98 (Spanish) Remy Pannier NV Marquis de la Tour Brut – $9.98 (French) “Best Buy” Wine Enthusiast Magazine P.J. Valckenberg Madonna Sekt Demi Sec Sparkling Wine – $10.98 (German)Sommariva Prosecco Conegliano – $11.98 (Italian) J Non Vintage Cuvee 20 Brut Sparkling Wine – $17.98 (American)
Medium price champagnes:
Gloria Ferrer 2001 Royal Cuvee Sparkling Wine – $21.98 (American) “93 Points” Wine Spectator MagazineMontaudon NV Brut Rose’ Champagne Grande Rose’ – $26.98 (French) “93 Points” Wine Spectator MagazineSchramsberg 2005 Blanc de Blanc – $27.98 (American) “91 Points” Wine Enthusiast Magazine Henri Abele Non Vintage Brut Champagne – $29.98 (French) “91 Points” Wine Enthusiast Magazine Duval-Leroy Non Vintage Brut Champagne – $35.98 (French) “93 Points” Wine Spectator Magazine High price champagnes:
Antinori Montenisa Non Vintage Franciacorta Brut Saten – $42.98 (Italian) Bruno Giacosa 2004 Spumante Extra Brut – $44.98 (Italian) Lenoble 1996 Grand Cru Blanc De Blancs – $56.98 (French) “95 Points” Wine Spectator Magazine Aubry 2002 Brut Le Nombre d’Or Campanae Veteres Vites – $57.98 (French)
“92 Points” Steve Tanzer-International Wine Cellar Billecart-Salmon Non Vintage Brut Rose’ Champagne – $84.98 (French)
“94 Points” Robert Parker-The Wine Advocate Journal