WIN THEM WITH WINE
When in doubt, always go with wine. More than 60% of people drink wine with their Turkey Day feast, so you may as well come along for the ride. The varietals listed below, white and red, are considered the best to pair with such a heavy meal that runs the gambit on spicy, salty and sweet.
A regular sized bottle of wine provides four glasses. Assume each person will over the course of a few hours, consume a bottle. Some will have more, some less, but this is a good way to calculate how much wine you will need to buy. Always add two additional people to your guest list to account for the new love interest or the flaky friend who may actually show up this year. I say plan to have twice as much wine on hand so you don’t run out.
Calculation: Number of Guests × Number of Estimated Glasses Per Guest ÷ 4 = Number of Bottles Needed [6 x 4 ÷ 4 = 6]
Thanksgiving Whites
Riesling: Flavors of apple, apricot, peach, pear, and honey. Aromas of floral.
Gewurztraminer: Flavors of lychee, grapefruit, pineapple, peach, apricot, orange, and cantaloupe. Aromas of herb, spice, flower, mineral, and earth.
Sauvignon Blanc: Flavors of white peach, grapefruit, lime, pear, passion fruit, cut grass, lemongrass, tarragon, green bell pepper, jalapeño, vanilla, nutmeg, and clove. Aromas of vegetative, grassy, herbaceous, gooseberry, asparagus, green pepper, capsicum, tomato leaf, grapefruit, and passion fruit.
Pinot Grigio: Flavors of melon, lime, pear, honeysuckle, and green apple. Aromas of lemon-lime, pear, peach, apricot, almond, baking spices, and honeysuckle.
Thanksgiving Reds
Pinot Noir: Flavors of black cherry, red cherry, blackberry, raspberries, and strawberries. Aromas of ripe-grape, black cherry, cinnamon, mint, ripe tomato, and mushroom
Zinfandel: Flavors of jam, blueberry, black pepper, cherry, plum, boysenberry, cranberry, and licorice. Aromas of peppery spice, toasted vanilla, cinnamon, and clove.
Syrah: Flavors of blueberry and blackberry, black pepper, tobacco, and licorice. Aromas of pepper, spice, blackberry, blueberry, cocoa, cured meat, and bacon fat.
Beaujolais Nouveau: Flavors of red fruit and berries. Aromas of violet, cherry, peony, blackcurrant, and peach.
