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Goosing Tom Turkey Right wines elevate traditional Thanksgiving turkey and trimmings Americans can be adventurous in adding variety and spark to their Thanksgiving meals. Think seafood, hams, wild game and other meats. Still, for most of us, turkey and trimmings stand out as Thanksgiving’s traditional main course. That’s why this month’s column focuses on how pairing the right wines with turkey and assorted side dishes can flavor-spur your holiday meal to new heights. Start your meal with a palate-enlivening flute of sparkling wine – a pink from France (Brut Rose’ Grande Fleur for $13) or Italy (Brut Rose’ Tomisrol Marqueese from Cava for $11). Both of these wines are amazingly refreshing with light hors d’oeuvres. For fun, throw a crystal sugar cube in you glass and watch the color lighten and the fizziness increase. (The sugar releases slowly with little impact on taste.) Choose A Light and Fruity Wine The traditional Thanksgiving meal includes a huge array of foods and ingredients. You have the roasted turkey (protein), gravy (fatty and buttery), cranberry jelly or sauce (sweet and acidic), stuffing (spicy because of celery and salt), mashed potato (can be sweet and buttery), to mention a few basics. To bring out the best flavors, serve a light, fruity and simple wine. Fruity wine – red or white -- better refreshes the palate and allows you to enjoy the foods’ flavors. Avoid harsh wines such as Zinfandels, Merlots and Cabernets. Instead, choose a Pinot, Sangiovesse or Granache for red and Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio or Riesling for white I usually set three glasses for each guest (two for white wine and one for red) next to each plate. Beside the glasses, I place a small card listing the wine to be poured with which serving. White Wines My favorite with turkey, gravy and mashed sweet potato is a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand – 2003 Wither Hills ($20). It is intensely fruity with a lively acidity that balances the sweetness of the foods. Dry Rieslings, clean and crisp, refresh the palate and complement the sugars in the turkey and side dishes. Try the 2002 dry Riesling from Alba Vineyard, New Jersey, for $12. Red Wines As a rich, lighter red wine, Pinot Noir is wonderful with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and thick gravy because it doesn’t overpower the flavors of the foods..Trythe 2004Evesham Wood Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregonfor $17. Grenache is another favorite with Thanksgiving foods. Its sweetness blends perfectly with turkey, side dishes and especially sweet sauces such as Cranberry. Try 2004 Bodegas Artazu from Navarra, Spain, for $8. Dessert Wine? For traditional Thanksgiving dessert, I like a display of several tasty choices. Pumpkin pie, cheese cake, blue cheeses, fruits and -- you have to have -- chocolate chip cookies. Normally, I am a big fan of sweet wine at dessert, but not on Thanksgiving. Since the foods already have lots of sweet ingredients, I prefer something bitter – coffee or, even better, Espresso! Or, if you want a soothing digestive, serve a brandy or a single-malt scotch. |
