Thanksgiving Wine!
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Thanksgiving is a special time, requiring a special wine. So, for our holiday wine picks we'll do away with our typical under $25 rule(We use the term "rule" really loosely ).
We would recommend earthy, spicy, peppery flavors to go with a traditional Thanksgiving feast. You could do white(white with poultry, right?), Chardonnay or a good Washington Pinot Gris would work well for you. However, we prefer to pair our wines with the flavors and sauces, rather then the protein! Gravy, stuffing, potatoes, yams, cranberries and salads; earthy flavors scream for an earthy, spicy wine. Steer away from cabs and other "heavy" or tannic wines, they'll just over power all of those great flavors.
Here are a few wines we've had in the past that would go great with your turkey:
Matthews Claret is a 60% merlot, 40% cab blend that just borders on to powerful for turkey, but this one is soft on the tannins and just a wonderful wine! The only downfall to this one is trying to find it! Woodinville, WA around $40.
DeLille Cellars Doyenne Syrah(not the correct label on the left, but that what it looks like) Directly from the website tasting notes, "Concentrated chocolate and raspberries are combined with espresso, white pepper and a floral nose." With a description like that, how can it not go with Thanksgiving dinner? Washington around $45
A legendary Washington syrah. Unfortunately, another one almost impossible to find.....But worth the search! Around $75
Most of you already know, our absolute favorite pinot noir of all time! This is what we would be serving (if we were doing dinner). For a budget, stick with the premier cuvee at $35. We highly recommend the Arcus or Red Hills single vineyards at $70, words just can't describe it; you just have to try it :) McMinnville, OR
Our second favorite pinot from Oregon, Patricia Green Cellars. Her "Oregon pinot noir" is an awesome deal at $22. But, like Archery summit, spring for the single vineyards priced from $32-$40. For a really special treat, go for the "Notorious" which is a blend of her best barrels, $70!
Ciel du Cheval Vineyard syrah. An unbelievable single vineyard Syria. I don't think we've ever had a poor wine that came out of the Ciel du cheval vineyard :) Multiple producers use grapes from this vineyard, but McCrea seems to do an exceptional job!
Andrew Will Champoux. An interesting blend of 44% cab, 25% cab franc, 22% merlot and 9% petit verdot. Pushing the limits of "bigness" for a turkey dinner, but oh so wonderful! Maybe a better choice if you are having prime rib :) Washington, around $65
Alright, enough dreaming! Now for a few recommendations in a normal "everyday" price range:)
Hogue is a Washington Syrah you can find just about anywhere, around $10. If you really want a white with your meal, check out their fine fume blanc, chenin blanc or pinot grigio, all around $10.
chateau St Michelle cab Franc, $12. Cab franc is traditionally a blending grape. However, we think it drinks very well, completely on its own. Give this one a try or many of the other producers that produce a cabernet Franc (McIllroy is our FAVORITE cab franc, and only $14!)
We spent quite a bit of time at King Estate winery when we were "stuck" in Eugene, OR for 3 weeks for motorhome repair. We got to know their wines quite well :) Their pinot noir is a great value at $20. Again, if you want to treat yourself, go with their single vineyard pinots, bargains at $25-$28!
Whew! There you have it, our picks for Thanksgiving wine. Did you notice a trend? All of the wines are from Washington and Oregon! This area has become our new favorite wine region. We like earthy and spicy vs. Fruit forward that California seems to do so well.
Hopefully, you'll give one of these wines a try (maybe you'll get lucky and find one of the "hard to finds" listed above). Remember, taste is totally subjective, what we like might not work for you. This is our opinion and you asked for it :)
Enjoy a glass of wine(or 2 or 3), regardless of variety, producer or price!
