Hi Taylor,
I need some red and white suggestions for Thanksgiving dinner. I will have at least one discerning wine class guest amongst the diners so I don’t want to depend on my own selections.
Thanks,
Wayne
Wayne, good to hear from you!!
Your first worry...?
So it has a lot to do with how the bird is prepared, and even more with the side dishes.
Are you a root vegetable (potatoes, yams, beets, etc) kind of guy? If so look for "earthy" wine to match with the earthy vegetable. Pinot Noir and lighter Italian (Tuscan) wines show the right kind of earth and are also light enough to go with the white meat of the turkey.
When I'm working with Cranberry sauce and rich stuffing (I do a serious Blue Cheese stuffing and baste all day) I reach for red Zinfandel or even Shiraz. I find this richness goes much better with dark turkey meat. Rich with rich.
You know those huge Butterball Turkeys? How about a big buttery Chardonnay with that? Chardonnay is a favourite of mine, I don't care what people think! My good buddy Danny rubs a serious amount of butter under the skin....too much? Just enough. Beamsville Bench, Niagara Chard is great local stuff. Don't get me started on Prince Edward County!
In closing I'd like to say that thanksgiving time is a time for richness! Even if you are not rich, we can all afford to be for one or two meals of the year!
Best regards,
WT
