I love Thanksgiving, in fact, I love every
holiday. It’s another reason to get together with family and friends and enjoy
a great meal, wonderful wines and endless conversation.
I will plan my menu just about ten days before. I finish my grocery
shopping by Sunday and start prepping two days ahead; on Tuesday I will start
the brining; on Wednesday I will prep all the vegetable dishes -- Clean, cut, blanch
etc. all the little details that take precious time away from the important
things on Thursday. On Thursday morning, I will study my recipes and literally choreograph
every step.
I will leave whatever I planned to serve as appetizers last. This
way, if I run out of time we are not missing anything from the main dinner. Of
course I always have a selection of cheeses, charcuteries, breads, and dips and
olives, and spreads; all the good things that all you have to do is arrange
them on a pretty plate. Wine and
cocktails are served non-stop for a good 90 minutes if not more. When we are finally ready to sit around the
table, I will show my beautifully cooked Turkey and then take it back into the
Kitchen in order to carve it.
I like to serve everything family style (I guess that’s the Greek in
me) and line up an array of wines for everyone to drink. I will serve wines
that I never had, some old favorites and certainly I will open bottles that I
consider special. Everyone will share what they are thankful for, glasses will
clink and with broad smiles on everyone’s face the Thanksgiving feast will
begin.
By the time we get to dessert, the pies, the cakes, the chocolates,
the cookies most people are wishing they had remembered to put their stretchy
pants on.
By now you are wondering, why am I sharing this information? Because
I want everyone to understand my answer to a question that I hear several
hundred times during this holiday. “What do you recommend for Thanksgiving
dinner?” What I really want to say is “whatever you like to drink”. Don’t look
for pairings for this occasion, with so many dishes on the table it is
impossible to pair one wine or even two for everything. I will help you discover new wines, find
something new for your taste profile, find the bargains and the treasures, but
please, please, please do not ask me to pair the wines.
If you want to break it down dish by dish, here’s the scoop;
For the big bird, my preference will be a Pinot Noir and if you want
to be traditionalist a Zinfandel will do the trick.
-
Poco A Poco Pinot Noir
-
Siduri Pinot Noir
-
Dutton Estate Pinot Noir
-
Carol Shelton Wild Thing Zinfandel
-
Dashe Les Enfants Terribles Zinfandel
-
Rockpile Ridge Zinfandel
For all the side dishes that will grace your table, here are a few
pairing ideas.
Green Beans, a Chenin Blanc will work nicely
-
Chateau de Montfort Vouvray
-
Blue Plate Chenin Blanc Dry
Stuffing, Riesling is the wine of choice, preferably one from New
York
-
Ryan William Vineyards Estate Riesling
-
Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling
Mashed Potatoes, should be paired with bubbles, a Blanc de Blanc
will be ideal.
-
Andre Jacquart Blanc de Blanc
-
Gosset Blanc de Blanc
If Brussels sprouts make it on your holiday table, a Sauvignon Blanc
that sees some oak will do the trick
-
Beaucanon Estate Sauvignon Blanc
-
Sonoma Coast Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc
Sweet Potatoes, a California Chardonnay is a must.
-
Hanzell Sebella Chardonnay
-
Jordan Chardonnay
And no, I did not forget the Cranberry sauce. This will require a
jammy Shiraz.
-
Yangarra Shiraz
-
Two Hands, Angel Share Shiraz
There you have it, you have yourself a nifty tasting menu. Whether
you stick with your favorites or explore something new, these wine recommendations
will be sure to keep a smile on your face from the first to the last bite.
Καλη ορεξη!
Costas
