5 Tips for Finding the Right Thanksgiving Wine

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5 Tips for Finding the Right Thanksgiving Wine

Finding the right wine to serve with all those different foods on Thanksgiving is not as easy as you think. Here are 5 tips to help you make the right selection!

Tip # 1 – Pick a Wine you Know and Like:

With holidays and special occasions many of us try and find the right wine that pairs naturally with the food we’re about to eat. Unfortunately at Thanksgiving this creates a bit of a challenge since there are so many different foods, taste and flavors. My advice, is to stick with wines you know and love. Take the guess work out of the wine choice and relax with a familiar favorite.

Tip # 2 – Avoid that Special Aged Wine:

If you are like me you probably have a special wine sitting in your basement cellar waiting for the right occasion to pop open. Thanksgiving comes along, you bring the wine out, tout its greatness to your guest and bingo, it’s bad. Either spoiled, beyond its peek or seepage has let to a disappointing taste. Avoid this disaster by playing it safe, pick something with less age.

Tip # 3 – Don’t Go Overboard:

I know it’s Thanksgiving and we’re all happy to begin the Holiday season, but there is no reason to go overboard on your wine purchase. I have been to Thanksgiving dinners where there was more choices than there were side dishes. Chance are your guest do enjoy wine, but may not be overly knowledgeable and will enjoy whatever you put out. Stick with one or two grape varieties and limit the number of producers. I always have a couple bottles of Red Zinfandel by a producer I like and usually a California Pinot Noir. Add a white and I’m done.

Tip # 4 – Decant the Good Stuff:

OK, so you’re ignoring Tip # 2 and going with that special selection you been saving. You’re confident the wine is good, there is no visible sign of seepage and you have taken extremely good care of this wine since the day you purchased it. Go one step further and decant the wine at least two hours before you intend to use it. An aged selection or a wine with a lot of structure needs to breathe before your enjoy. This one tip alone will really improve the wine experience.

Tip # 5 – Go for Balance:

Like I said before, there are a lot of different taste, smells and flavors with the Thanksgiving meal and it takes a wine with good balance to stand up to this feast. When making your purchase ask for a balanced wine. You don’t want a wine that is overly fruity or very high in tannins. You want the a smooth wine that does not compete with the food but compliments the food. A good wine shop should be able to point you in the right direction.

I hope these tips help you wine experience not just with Thanksgiving but throughout the Holidays. If you thought I was going to let you leave without making a suggestion or two, you haven’t been around this site for too long. Here’s what I’ll be pouring:

Bonus Tip: Use the Right Wine Glass, CLICK HERE!
Christopher Creek 2003 Russian River Zinfandel:

It’s Thanksgiving, an American Holiday and I always go with Red Zinfandel, an American grape. You’ll end up splurging a bit with the Christopher Creek at $30.00, but hey it’s worth it.

Somewhat spicier as a result of the cooler Russian River climate, this 100% Zinfandel bursts with ripe, jammy fruit. It is deftly crafted from a 70/30 mix of older and younger vines where younger vines bring a subtle berry aroma and acidity, while older vines add structure and concentration.

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Truett-Hurst 2006 Burning Man North Coast Petite Sirah:

Petite Sirah does not get the respect it deserves in the wine world and most wine shops carry very little of this variety. I find the wines to be robust but with a nice balance. The Truett-Hurst Burning Man is intensely scented with ripe plum and blackberry, enhanced by orange blossom and honeysuckle notes. The mouthfeel is rich, ripe and round and packed with flavors of dark fruits, toasted coconut and peppery spice with firm but approachable tannins.

Expect to pay in the mid thirties for this wine.

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Ziata 2009 Carneros Pinot Noir:

I admit that the $45.00 price tag initially turned me off, but the wines just seems to spell festive. I tried this at a buddy’s some time ago and immediately penciled it in for this holiday.

Winemaker Notes:
This beautiful, brick-colored Pinot Noir opens up with very clean and pure aromatics. Lovely red fruit aromas of raspberry and black cherry are followed by notes of black pepper, clotted cream and sweet rose petal. As the wine opens up, it begins to show spicy layers of clove and nutmeg, then reveals an earthiness reminiscent of fallen leaves and toasty oak. On the palate, the wine is plummy, with a rich and full-bodied mouthfeel, tannins that are lush and sweet, and a lingering, bright acidity. – Anne Vawter, Winemaker

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