No
other holiday celebrates the gift of wine like Thanksgiving. Wine is a taste of
the harvest along with all the delicious dishes on the table. But actually
choosing a bottle can feel like a thankless task, especially with so many
flavors to match.
Relax.
Have a drink.
And try some of my suggestions for great wines to pair with Thanksgiving turkey
and all the trimmings. My food-and-wine
matching tool allows you to click on "turkey holiday dinner" to find
wines that accompany all kinds of dishes, from roast turkey to turducken, from
creamed corn to pecan pie.
Here are 5 quick tips for choosing a terrific
Thanksgiving wine:
1. Start with bubbly. Sparkling wine is a great aperitif to sip
while you wait for the turkey to finish cooking. It adds a celebratory note to
the meal and goes well with starters like soup and salad.
2. Consider the turkey. Unlike most poultry and game birds, turkey meat is very dry in texture. So you need a mouth-watering wine to complement it. Good options are crisp whites like riesling and pinot grigio. And yes you can drink red wine with white meat: pinot noir, beaujolais and zinfandel all have juicy, berry-ripe flavors that go well with turkey.
3. Look beyond the bird. The range of side dishes means that you don't have to match your wine just to the turkey. Since Thanksgiving dinner is often a banquet-style meal, with everyone choosing the trimmings, why not do the same with your wines? Offer both red and white, and possibly more than one depending on the size of your group.
5. End on a sweet note. If anyone still has room left when it's time for pumpkin or pecan pie, offer a late harvest wine or icewine. If you're a chocolate fan, try serving a liqueur with complementary flavors such as raspberry or blackcurrant.
Later this week, I'll post my top 10 favorite turkey wines. I'd like to hear which wines you had in the past that worked brilliantly with the bird ... and which ones didn't.
Cheers,
Natalie
ERROR:
2:23:01 PM on
11/07/07
This year, we're starting with Champagne, to go with smoked trout pate and almonds. Then moving on to a white Pessac-Leognan with Coquilles st. Jacques. After that, water with a salad of red and green Belgian endive with Stilton, walnuts and fresh herbs (with a mustardy dressing). The main course is roasted turkey with a sage/cognac/cream gravy, braised red cabbage, bubble and squeak cakes, glazed carrots with cider, served with an aged Bordeaux. Dessert is pumpkin pie (done cheesecake style with a gingersnap crust) and a glass of Madeira. I am a little worried about the Bordeaux going the dinner, since I do agree with all your suggestions, but really want to try out this Bordeaux (a Margaux), so am inclined to go for it anyway. Any thoughts -- will the Bordeaux manage to squeak by? Thanks and cheers, Bonnie
4:19:06 PM on
11/07/07
My first question Bonnie is may my family and I come to your house for Thanksgiving please? My goodness woman, this sounds like an amazing meal! Re Bordeaux or any other wine you're uncertain of, the first rule is to drink what you like rather than find the perfect match. If it doesn't work out, have a bun in between the wine wine and food! Mature Bordeaux might work better than young stuff because the tannins will be more smoothed out. Margaux is the best of all the sub-regions in Bordeaux because it tends to be the smoothest and most elegant. Go for it Bonnie, and enjoy all the pleasures of the table.
Cheers,
Natalie
6:15:21 PM on
11/07/07
Bonnie,
What are "Bubble and Squeak" cakes?
For dessert wines, I like the Nivole Muscat d'Asti. It has peach, butterscotch and caramel flavors with a nice citrus finish.
8:45:43 PM on
11/07/07
far as I know bubble and squeak is a traditional English dish made from fried cabbage and potatoes but also can include other veggies... is that right?
asti is a lovely dessert wine for most desserts (except chocolate, which demands the richness and sweetness of port, I think)
12:16:52 AM on
11/08/07
Bubble and squeak is usually potatoes and cabbage - these cakes are a variation with Brussel Sprouts instead of cabbage. It's a new recipe for me, from Gordon Ramsay. Thanks for the advice on the Bordeax, Natalie!! Much appreciated.
3:54:58 PM on
11/09/07
So are the "bubble and squeak" like pancakes? Yes, Ms. MacLean, I wouldn't serve Asti with chocolate.