Thanksgiving Wine Guide

With Thanksgiving only a few days away the challenging task of matching a wine to the traditional feast should be by now well under way.
 
Thanksgiving challenging? Not just because it’s a big chore to put on and one must deal with numerous friends and relatives vying for an enviable seat at your table, but because the traditional meal does not lend itself easily to one particular Thanksgiving wine. You need a Thanksgiving wine guide.
 
Here is the challenge. You’re having turkey (with both white and dark meat) or maybe a ham, along with a savory stuffing, spicy potatoes, rich dark gravy and a tangy cranberry sauce. Maybe you rub your turkey with Creole butter, or rosemary sprigs or prepare it with an orange glaze, or deep fried with brown sugar. The point being there are many ways to prepare the traditional bird, and the meal itself can have a diverse mix of sweet, sour, salty, savory and spicy components.
 
So what to do? Here are some recommendations to attempt to cover all the bases. If you tend to cook with more seasoning and spices the red wines might work the best. We do suggest that you offer both a white and red options for your guests. 
                                                                                                         
White Wine Varieties
 
Pinot Gris – A light refreshing wine with pear, lemon and tropical fruit flavors. It can be overwhelmed if your food is overly seasoned.
 
Dry Riesling or Dry Gewürztraminer - the right balance of a slight sweetness and aromatic, spicy and floral fruit makes a lovely compliment to roasted turkey.
 
Chenin Blanc – Semi dry wine with floral, grass and honeysuckle aromas. Sometimes has a pleasant mineral or herbal quality that can add complexity.
 
Chardonnay or Pinot Blanc – Flavorful with flinty and fruity aromas made medium body and dry. These wines can stand up to well seasoned poultry. Finding one with little or no oak may work best with turkey.
 
Red Wine Varieties
 
Gamay Beaujolais – (or Beaujolais Nouveau) These wines are often made in a white wine style where the juice has little contact to the grape skins. These light wines are served cooled and exhibit fruity, sometimes strawberry flavors.
 
Pinot Noir – The earthy, cherry, olive and raspberry flavors of this grape tend to match well with seasoned poultry and meats. Good with savory stuffing.
 
Merlot – A medium bodied Merlot with its peppercorn, green olive and earth and coffee flavors can often match well seasoned poultry and even ham. (Some might consider it a more risky choice.)
 
Zinfandel – Medium bodied Zin will stand up to spicier dishes. The ripe plum and blackberry fruit flavors along with a peppery finish works well with those more exotic poultry preparations. Also pairs well with ham.

About the Author

Cleveland is the founder of the online winery directory www.CaliforniaWineryAdvisor.com where hundreds of wineries are profiled in rich detail and cataloged by wine types, winery amenities, ambiances, tasting fees and hours of operation. Cleveland has been in the wine trade as a educator, writer, photographer, salesman, cellar rat, and most recently “The Winery Advisor”. He makes his home in San Luis Obispo and can be reached at: BCleveland@CaWineryAdvisor.com

Modded and hacked blackberry smart phone

Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song $50.00 Drawing from the collection of the world-renowned Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Bird Songs presents the most notable North American birds—including the rediscovered Ivory-billed Woodpecker—in a stunning new format. Renowned bird biologist Les Beletsky provides a succinct description of each of the 250 birds profiled, with an emphasis on their distinctive songs. Lavish ful…

Identifying and Feeding Birds (Peterson Field Guides/Bird Watcher’s Digest Backyard Bird Guides) $1.07 This readable, friendly guide is intended for bird watchers and nonbird watchers alike for anyone who wants to enjoy nature right in his or her own backyard. The longtime editor of Bird Watcher’s Digest and author of numerous books on birds, Bill Thompson III has been feeding and watching birds for forty years. He has tried everything, and here he shares what he’s learned so that readers can avoid…

A Simple Guide to Dominating Angry Birds (Simple Guides) $6.47 Simple Guidesgive youJust the FactsGet up to speed with dominating Angry Birds-fast!Simple Guides: get you started quickly.No extra clutter, no extra reading.Learn how to get started playing Angry Birds by downloading the game, choosing the right bird for the job, finding all the Golden Eggs, how to get three stars on each level, and play the different game variations.Find out the best ways to dom…