Everyone has his or her favorite holiday, mine happens to be Thanksgiving. There is something about the foods eaten in my Family on Thanksgiving that makes me smile and just feel good in general. Thanksgiving is also the start of the “Holiday Seasonâ€. To that end, I wanted to offer up a couple of suggestions for wines to have with your Thanksgiving meal. First of all let me stress, Thanksgiving is not a time to be frugal with your wine purchases. In fact the whole Holiday Season is not a time to “go cheap†unless you really don’t like someone. You’ve (or someone else) spent hours preparing a meal for your loved ones; good wine should be consumed. Here are two great wines to serve with Thanksgiving dinner!
I have selected a red and white specifically because they stand up well to a hearty Thanksgiving meal that is well known to be robust and varied in flavor. In my opinion, these wines are meant to be consumed with food. Finally, these wines are both American – as Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday.
The Columbia Valley is one of the most famous wine regions in the State of Washington. The Bridgman 2013 Columbia Valley Riesling has 11.5% alcohol by volume and is a clear wine with a tinge of green. The scent is intense, but not overpowering. This wine is crisp, acidic, and a bit tart and not too fruit forward. The Bridgman Riesling is not sweet and will stand up and compliment your typical Thanksgiving Dinner. It lingers oh-so-nicely after consumed and will mix well with the flavors of the Turkey, dressing and cranberry sauce, etc. This wine retails for around $11.99.
The 2010 Domaine Loubejac Willamette Pinot Noir is a light red — so light in color it almost looks pink around the edge of the glass. This wine needs to breathe. Open it about 15 minutes before the meal and pour as folks are sitting down. This wine needs some time to “open upâ€. Willamette is one of the infamous wine regions in the State of Oregon. This is home to some of the best and most expensive Pinot Noirs. The taste is indeed intense and will stand up to a hearty meal. I smell spice, pepper, licorice, and some deep cherry. It is acidic and little tart, but holds its own. Domaine Loubejac Willamette Pinot Noir has 13.5% alcohol by volume and retails for around $17.99.
I hope these suggestions are helpful. If you try them, please let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment.
