– Written by Maureen Bayer, CS, CSW, CWP
Thanksgiving is the ultimate holiday for those who love food
and wine. As we all know nothing brings people together better than that. With
family all around the table, it is important to have just the right wine to
pair with that meal you have been cooking all day. Whether you are hosting or
if you are attending what could be your future in-laws for the first time you
want to impress everyone with your awesome selection of wine.
As a sommelier, Thanksgiving is both exciting and dreaded.
It is exciting because the food and wine possibilities are endless. It is also
dreaded for the same reason there are just so many great options, how can you
only pick a few? Then you have your mom who will only drink sweet wine and your
sister who will only drink red wine and your husband who would rather have a
beer! To help with this conundrum, we have made selections for you that will be
appreciated by everyone and compliment all parts of your meal.
Jean-Charles Boisset
No.69, Rose -
We will start with the sparkling wine choice. Jean- Charles
Boisset (JCB) No. 69, a sparkling rose made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
coming out of Burgundy, France. If I could start every meal with sparkling wine
I would! This sparkling wine has the complexity of Champagne but a price range
we are willing to share with that “box wine only” drinking family member. The
delicate fruit along with medium acidity in the JCB make it an easy choice to
pair with every part of your Thanksgiving dinner. The bubbles are just an added
bonus clearing your palate for each bite of food.
Victorianbourg Wine
Estate, Gewurztraminer -
Being the American holiday how can we not have a local
favorite on the table? Victorianbourg Wine Estate Gewurztraminer is the New
York State style of a classic German grape. With beautiful fruit and floral
notes the Gewurztraminer will be a crowd pleaser with your roasted turkey and
gravy. Although fermented to complete dryness, this Gewurztraminer is the sweet
and spicy grape that even your sweet only mom will love!
JJ Vincent Bourgogne
Blanc -
France makes some of the best food friendly wines in the
world. The JJ Vincent Bourgogne Blanc coming from the regions of Maconnais and
Beaujolais in France and is made from the Chardonnay grape. Adding a little
more body to the table this wine will please even your beer drinking husband.
The Bourgogne Blanc has earthy characteristics that will compliment all types
of potatoes, corn dishes, and other earth based dishes. The classic French oak
notes and a creamy texture compliment along side your turkey, gravy, stuffing
and so much more!
Stephane Aviron
Beajolais Village -
We are back to France with the classic Thanksgiving pairing
of Beajolais. The Stephane Aviron Beajolais Village that is located in
Burgundy, France is not your typical Beajolais served on Thanksgiving. The
fresh and fruity Beajolais Nouveau that is released the week before
Thanksgiving every year is an easy drinking wine but it does not have the
complex characteristics of this Beaujolais Village. The Beaujolais Village
still has the fruit characteristics but they are darker fruits and have more
depth to them than that of the Nouveau. This is a red wine that those people
who only drink whites can enjoy. It has low tannin helping it not power over
some of your lighter dishes but it still has enough backbone to stand up to
some of the fatty foods as well.
90+ Cellars Lot 75,
Pinot Noir -
Now we travel back to America with an excellent wine from
90+ Cellars. The 90+ Cellars Lot 75 Pinot Noir is made up of grapes from the
Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, California. This wine is sure to impress
that wine snob you know will be there! The fruit ranges from baked cherries to
raspberry jam, in addition to hints of vanilla and cocoa along with a subtle
violet. This wine can pair with almost any part of your Thanksgiving dinner
because of it’s upfront fruit and well balanced body.
Sebastiani Vineyards,
Zinfandel -
Although not actually an American grape Zinfandel can be
known as the great American wine. The Sebastiani Vineyards Zinfandel hailing
from Sonoma County, California is going to be the red wine lovers pick at your
table. For us at Via Girasole Wine Bar, the Sebastiani holds a special place in
our hearts because that is where the owner Nicole had her beautiful wine
country wedding. This wine has tannins that will make it stand up to full
bodied dishes with fruit and earthy characteristics that make it manageable for
the lighter food options. Zinfandel was one of the first vitis vinifera grapes
to thrive in America and make quality wine, which is why everyone should have a
bottle at their Thanksgiving table.
All of these wines can be purchased at Pittsford Wine and
Spirits, your wine shop on the canal.
