Are you ready for the holidays?
This is the season where so much happens revolving around food, family and football. Now, there’s not a whole lot I can do about your family and which football teams you’ll be rooting for. However, I’m here to help you pair some outstanding wines with the foods of the season.
What we’re going to do is divide the holidays into two separate seasons: the fall weather leading up to Thanksgiving and the colder winter weather leading up to and beyond Christmas.
Today, we’ll focus on the fall wines - those best suited for Thanksgiving.
Typically, most of us drink the same wines no matter the season. What I’d like to do is suggest a number of wines you may have never considered.
Most everybody is drinking what they’re familiar with and what everyone else is drinking.
For whites:
- Chardonnay (Oaked and Unoaked)
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Riesling
For reds:
- Pinot Noir
- Cabernet Sauvignon
Folks, let’s get more creative!
No matter how you prepare your turkey or ham, you can always bring out the best flavors and highlight interesting textures with the right wine pairing.
Here are my general recommendations.
For Whites:
- Albariño
- Gruner Veltliner
- Liebfraumilch
- Verdejo
- Viognier
For Reds:
- Beaujolais (even if it’s a Beaujolais Nouveau)
- Bordeaux (Right Bank)
- Cabernet Franc
- Châteauneuf du Pape
- Cotes du Rhone
- Garnacha
- Malbec
- Merlot
- Sangiovese
- Syrah
- Tempranillo
All that said, if you want to hit a home run (or based on this time of year, I should say, if you want to “score” or even take a “pick 6”) my top pick is Gruner Veltliner.
Most people, even people who’ve been hanging around wine for a while, have not heard of this grape and wine. But, in the last 15 years it has increased in popularity and is a fantastic choice for the Thanksgiving meal. It's a full-bodied white wine and an absolute must-have if your Thanksgiving dressing recipe is old-school and includes oysters.
Learn more about this phenomenal wine in my recent video.
Let me know if you give Gruner a try this Thanksgiving.
Until next time, Cheers!!