Recommended for Thanksgiving, "affordable" sparklings. Sparklings add a touch of class to any Holiday. If you like your sparklings with a touch of sweetness, we recommend Blanc de Blanc from Pinnacle Ridge Winery. This wine is made from 100% Cayuga grapes, has 2.5% residual sugar, and is $14. If you like your sparkling on the drier side, Pinnacle Ridge produces Brut Reserve, made from 100% Pinot Noir and is $18. Both are available only at the winery just north of Kutztown, PA.
If you want the convenience of your local Wine and Spirits store, Korbel from California provides several choices. Their Brut is a blend of Chardonnay, French Columbard, Chenin Blanc, and Pinot Noir. Their 100% Chardonnay Sparkling is an interesting alternative. Both are $14.99 and contain 1% dosage sugar. Korbel's other sparklings are available at some PA Wine and Spirits stores.
More Info - Wine with Thanksgiving Dinner
Below is more information and a few additional wines that we feel pair well with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. At the bottom of the page we have provided a “Name Guide” for those who aren’t sure of the “French translation” of wine names.
First and foremost, as we always say, drink what you like. If you don’t like the wine, it won’t be a good pairing.
If you want to “step out of the box” and try something different, think sparkling wine. The clean acidity, bright fruit and yeasty aromas pair well with just about everything on the Thanksgiving table. The only hold out will be the cranberry sauce and dessert. But as long as you don’t take a big bite of cranberry sauce and wash it down with a hearty swig of sparkling, things should turn out all right.
Not a big fan of sparklings? Then go with whites in general, especially those with higher acidity and no oak. Sauvignon Blanc or white Bordeaux/Meritage (blends usually including Sauvignon Blanc) go really well with butternut squash soup and lends a pleasant flavor to salad, turkey, stuffing (not spicy) and vegetables. If you are having a creamy vegetable try “naked” (un-oaked) chardonnay. Excellent choices also include Gerwurtztraminer and Riesling which pair well with all parts of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner except the cranberry sauce and pumpkin or butternut squash soups.
Really a fan of reds? Then you have two good choices: Pinot Noir or Beaujolais (made from the gamay grape, which is a cousin to Pinot Noir). Pinot Noir usually has more body and tannins than Beaujolais, so if you like bolder reds it may be the better choice. If you want a very light red this Thanksgiving, try Beaujolais.
The smooth fruit and low tannins of Pinot Noir and Beaujolais work well with most of the holiday servings.
Note: Nouveau Beaujolais is a variation of Beaujolais and is a freshly pressed and fermented, low tannic wine. The Wine and Spirits stores should get their shipment this week. If you buy the French Nouveau Beaujolais, drink it soon. Without tannins or aging like other red wines, it could easily go bad by New Year's.
Our choice? Invite friends and family and open one of each!
The Name Game
Most of the World | France |
Sauvignon Blanc (grape), Fume Blanc (same grape, name created by Robert Mondavi) | |
White Meritage (a blend that usually includes Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and other varietals) | White Bordeaux (a blend that usually includes Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and other varietals) |
Chardonnay | White Burgundy |
Sparkling | Champagne (Cremant if not from the Champagne region of France) |
Pinot Noir | Red Burgundy |
Gamay | Beaujolais, Nouveau Beaujolais |
Thanks and
Happy Thanksgiving!
Vintage Connections
Lisa and Dean Foster
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ReplyDeleteWe tried the Simonnet-Febvre Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Rose with Thanksgiving Dinner and was not impressed. This sparkling Burgundy (Pinot Noir) is currently a Chairman's Select for $14.99 and is fairly available. Everyone's taste is different, but we've had better sparklings for $15.
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