Editors note: Big Red and I are officially married and back from our honeymoon in Portugal (amazing wines…more on that later). I am still coming out of the post wedding haze and getting back into the swing of blogging. In the meantime I wanted to re-post this as it is relevant for the week ahead. Happy Thanksgiving yall!
Ok, gang. It is time to determine what wine to pair with your turkey feast. A couple of questions before we dive in . . . What tribe are you in? And what tribe do you think your dining companions belong to? If you haven’t already taken the quiz to determine your tribe, now would be a good time. That way you can get recommendations customized to your palate.
The basic notion behind pairing is to not overwhelm your food with a powerful wine. Traditional turkey dinners can present a pairing challenge because there are a number of factors at play . . . heavy foods like stuffing and mashed potatoes, both white meat and dark meat from the turkey, a variety of seasonings, etc. Having said all that, most experts recommend a crisp white or light red wine for the classic Thanksgiving dinner. If you are serving a Southwest-style bird or any turkey preparation that calls for heavy spice you might go with a bigger red wine (maybe a Zinfandel), but I would stay away from Cabernets and Bordeauxs and other wines with heavy tannins.
So, with that and your individual tribe preferences in mind, here are My Wine Tribe’s 2012 Thanksgiving Dinner recommendations:
For The Accessible and Balanced Tribes
White: Dry Riesling (My favorites come from Germany and Washington State.)
Red: Pinot Noir (Consider an Oregon Pinot as they tend to be a little lighter than Pinots from Washington or California.)
Balanced and Developed Tribes
White: Sauvignon Blanc (I recommend the 2010 Pomelo, which was a huge hit at a previous Wine Tribe tasting and at $10.99 is affordable even if you’re hosting the whole family.)
Red: For this crowd I would do a Pinot Noir from California as they tend to be a little denser. (Try the 2010 La Crema Monterey Pinto Noir, priced between $18-$23—another hit at a Wine Tribe recent tasting—or a Beaujolais Nouveau.
Developed and Complex Tribes
White: For these tribes I recommend a bold Chardonnay like the 2009 Edna Valley which retails for $12.99, and was a Complex tribe fave at a recent Wine Tribe tasting.
Red: How about that La Crema Pinot Noir (details above), beloved by both tribes? Or, consider a Zinfandel. Zins can be a little on the big side but they have nice berry flavors that play well with turkey.
And if you choose to ignore all of the above and go for a more festive vibe, nothing beats a sparkling wine. Might I recommend Gruet Brut which is a crowd-pleasing U.S. bubbly (from New Mexico of all places!) and is priced right at $14.99 a bottle.
We would love to hear any other turkey day recommendations you have so please leave a comment with your favorites. Gobble gobble!