Thanksgiving Wine to Gobble Up - Food News - Cooking

Thanksgiving Wine to Gobble Right Up

No Comments | Written on November 23, 2011 at 1:00 pm, by Lesley Kennedy

Better Homes and Gardens

Let’s see, turkey? Got it. Sweet potatoes? Yep. Green bean casserole, cranberries, pumpkin pie? Done. Now, the most important part to any Thanksgiving meal: the wine.

But what variety? Red? White? Rosé? One of each?

Reuters reports wine experts say it’s pretty hard to go wrong with having several options on hand for Turkey Day. In fact, you may want to just go ahead and just plan an entire wine menu.

For starters? Bubbles. Go all-out with pricy Champagne, or try less expensive Cavas, Italian Proseccos or American sparkling wine, Reuters advises.

“Sparkling wine is a great aperitif to sip while you wait for the turkey to finish cooking,” Natalie MacLean, author of Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines, tells the news service. I won’t argue with the experts.

Now, onto the turkey course. To stand against the bird’s sometimes dry texture, experts tell Reuters white wine drinkers should reach for New York Finger Lakes region Rieslings, Germany’s Spatlese Gewurztraminer or perhaps a fine Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand or Sonoma.

And, lovers of red wine—yes, that’s me—well, I’ve got it easy.

“Pretty much anything that isn’t very tannic will work,” wine columnist Lisa Carley tells the news service. California, Oregon and New Zealand Pinot Noirs, Cru Beaujolais, low-tannin Italian reds and Spanish Riojas were also recommended to Reuters by the experts.

Full yet? Buzzed yet? Hold on: There’s still dessert. Reuters suggests pairing your pie with a Madeira or Port from Portugal, a Trockenbeerenauslese from Austria or Germany or a Canadian Icewine.

Now, excuse me, please. I’ve got to make a serious turkey trot right over to the wine store. Because being with family and friends, eating my weight in Mom’s home cooking and uncorking several bottles of delicious wine? For that, I am truly thankful.