Wines for Thanksgiving
It’s time again to think about some Thanksgiving wines.
We stand by what we’ve said before about pairing wines with turkey and the rest of your holiday meal, but here’s a quick yet comprehensive guide for which red and white wines will pair best with Thanksgiving dinner:
(and be sure to check out our wines-under-$25 selections at the bottom of this page!)
Pinot Noir
St. Laurent
Tempranillo
Petit Sirah
Merlot
Bonarda
Rioja
Shiraz
Syrah
Blaufranksich
Cabernet Franc
Zinfandel (but not with too high an alcohol %!)
Or a nice red cuvee which may include a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon, Zweigelt or Blaufrankisch
Dry Riesling
Gruner Veltliner
Sauvignon Blanc
Pinot Gris
Pinot Blanc
Neuburger
Viognier
Torrontes
Gewurztraminer
Dry Golden Muscat
Spatlese
Beerenauslese
Trockenbeerenauslese
Ruster Ausbruch
Ice Wine
Tokaji
Sherry
THINK LIGHT
As a general note, we would recommend avoiding the big wines: that means anything too heavy, too overtly oaked, or too high in alcohol. This is why we don’t recommend a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Chardonnay, which both tend to see a lot of oak before arriving on your table (there are, of course, exceptions). The Thanksgiving meal is mighty enough on its own: what you want is a lighter bodied wine whose flavors can stand up to the flavors on the table, but which also has the ability to cut through those heavy dishes and cleanse the palate. You want a wine that you keep reaching for; a wine that animates the meal. Skip the wines that will make you drop like a brick by the end of the meal.
All that said, we of course have some specific recommendations for Thanksgiving 2006: wines that are peaking right now, and that would make for spectacular turkey day pairings this year. We do offer two special flights of wines to make it easy to get what you need delivered to your door (and onto your table). Each has a bottle of red, white and dessert wine which have been selected to pair perfectly with your meal: the Thanksgiving Wine Sampler ($68 - includes Pinot Noir, dry Riesling, and a cuvee dessert wine) and the Holiday Pairing Flight ($75 - includes Pinot Noir, Gruner Veltliner, and a Riesling Beerenauslese). These flights are also a great idea as a send-ahead housewarming/thank you gift if you are spending the holiday with friends or family. This is especially true if you are flying anywhere this season, as you won’t be able to bring that bottle in your carry-on!
Otherwise, here are our single bottle Thanksgiving wine recommendations:
REDS
Pinot Noir:
Wenzel Kleiner Wald 2004 ($38.50)
Gsellmann and Gsellmann Pinot Noir 2002 ($25.99)
St. Laurent (think of it as Pinot Noir with a wild side):
Braunstein Goldberg St.Laurent 2004 ($32.99)
Blaufrankisch:
Wenzel Bandkraften Blaufrankisch 2002 ($31.99)
Moric Alte Reben Neckenmarkt 2004 ($80.00)
Cuvees:
Gsellmann & Gsellmann Pannobile 2001 : Merlot, Zweigelt & Blaufrankisch ($19.99)
Feiler-Artinger Solitaire 2002: Cabernet Franc, Blaufrankisch & Zweigelt ($49.99)
WHITES
Gruner Veltliner:
Donabaum “Johann” Gruner Veltliner 2006 ($16.99) or
Gritsch Singerriedel Gruner Veltliner 2005 ($27.99) or
Melusine Lyra 2005 ($67.50)
Riesling:
Hogl Loibner Vision 2003 ($24.99) or
Donabaum Offenberg Riesling 2002 ($36.50 - limited inventory!)
Pinot Gris:
Wenzel Pinot Gris 2003 ($18.99)
Jaunegg Knily 2002 ($19.99)
Pinot Blanc:
Tschermonegg Pinot Blanc 2003 ($9.99)
Sauvignon Blanc:
Jaunegg Classic 2004 ($14.99)
Sabathi Poharnig 2004 ($29.99)
Neuburger (a dry white wine with a hint of nuttiness- perhaps the perfect pairing):
Gritsch 1000-Eimerberg Neuberger Select 2003
AFTER DINNER / WITH DESSERT
Heiss Acacia-Barrique Sauvignon Blanc Beerenauslese 2001 ($19.99)
Velich Muscat-Ottonel Beerenauslese 2001 ($29.99)
Feiler-Artinger Pinot Cuvee Ruster Ausbruch 2001 ($36.99)
SELECTIONS UNDER $25!!!
RED
Braunstein Goldberg St.Laurent 2003 ($22.00)
Wenzel Bandkraften Blaufrankisch 2001 ($24.99)
Preisinger Zweigelt 2005 ($16.00)
WHITE
Kalmuck Gruner Veltliner 2005 ($12.99)
Donabaum Riesling 2006 ($16.99)
One last tip? Try brining your bird this year, and use this recipe for Riesling Gravy (scroll to the bottom of the article).
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Well that’s a lot of info on wines!!!! And very informative as well. Now people can wisely arrange their Thanksgiving feast. What is a grand dinner without good wine to be enjoyed with family and close friends. Anyway thanks for the info. Well for many more info and suggestions visit this Thnaksgiving Blog at http://thanksgiving4all.blogspot.com. It’s filled with great ideas and suggestions.
When in Austria last year I tried an Austrian Pinot Noir by a producer from the same village Gsellmann is from (Gols) and can’t remember his name.
I had it with duck at a local restaurant and it was fantastic. Pinot Noir from this terroir along the Wagram mountain exhibit a smoky flavor I have not found anywhere else.
I’ll give the Gsellmann a try.
Cheers,
Dave
Hi Dave,
More than likely, the producer you tried was one from the Pannobile group, a “collective” of 9 vintners/wineries who share the same goal (this is from their website):
“Cooperate. Combine knowledge. Pursue good ideas together. Compete always with the best and without compromise – especially concerning quality. This is the basic principle of our group, which was founded more than 10 years ago by 7 winemakers from Gols, Austria. The goal: to create the individual, the unique – that which is completely opposed to the dawning globalizations of wine.”
In the coming months we will be introducing another from the Pannobile group to our lineup. The red wines from this area are truly something special.
I’m sure you will enjoy the Gsellmann Pinot very much, and I hope you’ll post back and tell us how it paired with your meal!
Cheers,
Emily
We’re going to pair your wines with our turkey done this way:
Roast Turkey with Pomegranate & Molasses Glaze
Combine & simmer together the following for about 2 minutes, and then glaze your bird with it:
1 cup pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
thanks!
Thanks for sharing that recipe. I would recommend you go with a Blaufrankisch red wine to pair with that glaze- think the Feiler-Artinger Umriss or the Wenzel Bandkraften.
Let us know how it goes!
We have had quite a few requests for a good brining recipe. Here is my favorite, which I am sharing without permission from Food & Wine magazine, so please think of them when you enjoy your perfectly brined bird!
Ingredients
* 5 quarts plus 2 cups cold water
* Kosher salt
* 1 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds
* 1/4 cup dried chopped onion
* 2 tablespoons caraway seeds
* 2 tablespoons black peppercorns,lightly crushed
* 2 tablespoons juniper berries, lightly crushed
* 6 bay leaves
* One 18-pound turkey, neck and giblets reserved for another use
* 1 1/2 cups Riesling
Directions
1. In a large pot, bring 4 cups of the water to a boil. Add 1 1/4 cups of kosher salt, the sugar, mustard seeds, dried onion, caraway seeds, peppercorns, juniper berries and bay leaves. Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar completely. Remove the pot from the heat.
2. Line a large stockpot or bucket with 2 very large, sturdy plastic bags. Put the turkey into the bags, neck first. Pour the warm brine over the turkey. Add 1 1/2 cups of Riesling and 4 quarts of the cold water. Seal the bags; press out as much air as possible. Refrigerate for 2 days.
3. On Thanksgiving morning, preheat the oven to 350°. Drain the turkey, scraping off the spices, then transfer it to a large roasting pan and let it return to room temperature. Discard the brine.