Thanksgiving: A Little Different Menu, A Little Different Wine
By Kori ~ November 17th, 2008.
The last thing the world needs is another article or blog post on traditional Thanksgiving meal/wine pairings where the bottom line is usually a recommendation of Riesling and Pinot Noir as the white and red wine selections.
However, the Wine Peeps are having a slightly different Thanksgiving spread this year, and we think it deserves a slightly different wine menu. Because of our Texas roots, Mom (LaGayle) is serving an apple/walnut salad, spicy braised chicken breast with a jalapeno cranberry relish, her “famous†faux sage cornbread dressing made with rice flour muffins, and sautéed green beans. Dessert is my homemade pecan pie, topped with whipped cream and/or creamy, homemade vanilla Blue Bell ice cream from Texas. In short, it’s a meal where the same old wines won’t really stand up to the rich food. (Photo by CarbonNYC)
So here are my wine suggestions for this kind of Thanksgiving meal:
- Since Thanksgiving is an American holiday, let’s have American wine.
- Start with a toast to our forefathers with a Domaine Carneros Brut from California (widely available for around $20) or a Gruet Brut from New Mexico (widely available for around $12).
- For the main course, go with a fruit forward Syrah if you’d like a red wine or a nice Gewürztraminer if you would prefer a white wine. If you live in the state of Washington, you might like to try the Fielding Hills Syrah that has topped our recommended list this year ($40). For a more economical choice, try either the Columbia Crest Two Vines Shiraz from Washington (widely available for around $8) or the Cline Los Carneros Estate Syrah from California (available for around $20). For a Gewürztraminer, you’ll be hard pressed to beat the Columbia Crest Two Vines Gewürztraminer from Washington (available for around $8) in terms of bang for your buck.
- To complement the pecan pie dessert, I’d recommend a good port-style wine, of which there are many possibilities at reasonable prices depending on where you live. Here in Washington, I would suggest the Barnard Griffin Syrah Port (500ml available for around $16). In California, you might like the Pedroncelli Four Grapes Vintage Port (500ml available for around $15), and in the Midwest there is the Mount Pleasant Tawny Library Port from Missouri (375ml available for around $30).
Hope you have a great holiday with family and friends. And remember to give thanks for this great country which stands for freedom, democracy, and opportunity for all.
Enjoy!
Filed under: American Wine, California Wine, Dessert Wine, Food & Wine, Gewurztraminer, Missouri Wine, New Mexico Wine, Port, Red Wine, Shiraz/Syrah, Sparkling Wine, Washington State Wine, White Wine, Wines Over $25, Wines Under $10, Wines Under $15, Wines Under $20, Wines Under $25
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I paired a bottle of St. James Winery Pink Catawba ($6.99) with a brown sugar glazed ham this year. It was amazing. Here’s a link if you want to check it out, http://www.stjameswinery.com/shop/wine/sweet/pink-catawba.html.
Anthony,
Glad to hear you had a great Thanksgiving pairing. Cheers!