November 21, 2007
Thanksgiving Wine Suggestions
Care to avoid be ridiculed by your Thanksgiving hosts following your departure after din din? 
Good. Then pay attention. (For those of you who have T-Day hosts who regularly gulp Chuck Shaw or Yellowtail, ew, feel free to ignore this post. You're screwed anyway.)
Here's what NOT to bring to Thanksgiving dinner:
Cabernet Sauvignon (for the love of God, don't bring Cab)
Merlot
Petite Sirah
Chardonnay (unless there is a crab dish)
The varietals above are simply too much for Turkey Day.
DO bring:
Beaujolais Nouveau - It's in season. But be warned...Stay away from this wine if you're particularly offended by floral, aromatic varietals.
Pinot Noir - Spend $20 or more and you should come out with something pretty decent. Stick to Northern California and Willamette Valley Pinots (pre 2005, if possible).
Champagne or Sparkling Wine - Again, spend at least $20 or opt for the pink-wrapped Sophia Coppola (a bargain and a fun conversation-starter). When in doubt, bubbly is always appropriate.
The varietals above will pair nicely with almost all Turkey Day fare.
Cheers!
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A gerwertraminer goes nicely with the trad Thanksgiving dinner, especially if you can find a dry one (yes, I know, very difficult). It also doubles well as a sobriety test. If your guests can ask for another glass and pronounce it more or less correctly, they can have another glass. ;)
but i LOVE Cabernet Sauvignon!
Save it for the steak house, Brock. ;)
Cru Beaujolais is so much better than most Nouveaus, and is not that much more. The Moulin-a-Vent, Fleurie, and Saint Amour areas make some great wines, and ones that will work perfectly with roasted turkey.
A Zinfandel fruit bomb (I'm looking at you, Turley!) isn't usually the best pairing for Thanksgiving dinner, but the lower-alcohol, low-tannin ones (from Ridge, for instance) are quite good.
I've been loving the Gerwertraminer lately, Iris. (Even Trader Joe's $2.99 JW Morris brand is pretty tasty -- what can I say, I'm on a budget.) I've also been picking up some of the organic reds that TJ's has been carrying.
I wish our hosts drank. We'll be the only drinkers there. Fun (in-law) family times. That 2.99 Gerwertraminer will do just fine for that reason!
I love Beaujolais Nouveau (kinda tastes like Kool-Aid!), but I was always under the impression that serious wine people will laugh at you to your face if you serve it.
Please be advised the Sophia C. is NOT actually pink. It's just in a pink cellophane wrapper that makes it look pink.
Tasty, though.
don't miss out on safeway's 10% off when you buy 6 bottles of any alchohol at a time. all of these wines are available at the better safeway's in town.
I have to second bluecanary.
My friends [wink wink] gave me a bottle, last week 'just because' and it's still in my fridge awaiting an opportune popping of the cork. [when I get back!]
When I removed the cellophane wrapper, I was surprised to find I had been totally fooled by the pink color, and read on the label that it's actually a bubbly blanc de blanc!
when it comes to thanksgiving with most families i've spent it with... any booze, any kind at all, and the more the better.
Amen, Kay.
Rubbing Alcohol on the rocks, if need be.