Our (apparently coerced) Guest-clacker today is Stephen Degon, a retired manufacturing and engineering executive whose hobbies include food and wine. That means he loves to cook, eat, and drink, but not write about it.
Well, it’s that time of year again, when we all start to think about the perfect Thanksgiving feast. Thanksgiving is such a special holiday because it reminds us of how fortunate we are, even if we are in the throws of a financial downturn. It means family and friends without the need for gifts. This should lead to a no stress holiday right?…WRONG! Everyone feels enormous pressure to make the perfect meal, accompanied by the perfect sides, and served alongside a perfect wine.
Which brings us to what we really want to talk about…wine. Turkey is a fowl, so it should have white wine, right? How about the dressing? Does it contain lots of meats? How are the veggies prepared? All of these questions should factor into your wine selection, but most important is “what kind of wine do you really like?”
Here are some suggestions, depending on your particular leanings.
Cote du Rhone is a lighter red from France that provides an excellent alternative to the full bodied reds you might normally love to have with a good steak. Made up of granache, petit syrah, and mouvedre varietals, it has a peppery finish, which pairs well with a meat dressing, and goes great with turkey and gravy. You can find these for $15 to $20 in most wine stores.
If you really don’t like reds, but prefer whites (maybe reds give you a headache), then think about a sauvignon blanc varietal from New Zealand. These highly acidic whites have a flowery nose and a grassy taste which is clean and fresh, and will cut through the sweetness of those yams and squashes which are usually spiked with too much sugar. You can find an abundance of these wines for $10 to $15 a bottle.
Of course, for those who really love red wine, any food provides an excuse to imbibe. A Bordeaux varietal mixture goes great with turkey and all the fixin’s. These wines will contain cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot, malbec, and cabernet franc. Lighter than a California cab, they will bring some compromise between the wine and the food for the palate to concentrate on. $15 to $30 will be needed for these.
A good California cabernet sauvignon will command your attention more than the food will. You can spend anywhere from $10 to $100+ for these, depending on your budget and taste. Some suggestions are:
You almost can’t go wrong serving wine with turkey dinner…just try to stay away from anything sweet like a white zin, reisling, or gewurtztraminer, and you’ll do fine.
a retired manufacturing and engineering executive whose hobbies include food and wine. That means he loves to cook, eat, and drink, but not write about it.
Clacked by Guest Clacker
on Nov 05, 2009 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
Now do it for Ham, smart guy.