November 3rd, 2005
Wine Suggestions for Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving dinner, a wide range of dishes typically is assembled, as family members bring unintended contributions and hosts get inspired to make just one more thing. The result is, even in the best of circumstances, myriad flavors that challenge wine pairing. To complicate matters, you've got guests who may range from the wine knowledgeable to your great aunt, who likes anything sweet. The solution? Don't worry about it.

The one thing to be concerned about is the seasonings in the dressing you've chosen. If it's full of sage, steer clear of white wines, as they'll create a metallic taste when they hit those herbal oils. And Chardonnay isn't a good idea, especially if heavily oaked. In fact, avoid the big three altogether. If you've chosen one of the organically raised birds, which are likely to be gamier in flavor than the commercial type, you'll need to think about the flavors as if you were dealing with game. That means you're better off with the lighter, less tannic, reds. Beyond that, just have a good time.

Thanksgiving isn't about food and wine pairing anyway; it's about family gathering. Break open a great bottle if you want to, but it's likely not to do your meal or your company any favors. And the food isn't likely to do the wine any favors either. You may need a good bit of wine for a large gathering, so we've taken that into account in assembling these suggestions.

We've assembled a roundup of what we think would make stellar choices with a holiday feast, including some that would accompany other types of fowl just in case you're done with Tom Turkey. Plus we've chosen some wines to use as openers and a suggestion for dessert. Enjoy!

Jane Garvey

Select Retailers for finding or ordering these wines.

Medium-bodied very slightly off-dry (.6 RS) white wine; golden straw. Fresh, zingy aromas and flavors of pineapple and quince, Golden apples, pear, nice minerality (stoniness); clean, crisp, long finish. Tiny nuance of Asian spices and slight bitter almond note in the finish. Lovely depth in mid-palate. Serve moderately chilled, about 50 degrees, in tall white-wine glasses. And you thought you'd never see a French wine in screwcap!!! Well, here ya go!

Grilled scallops with mustard mayonnaise, creamy seafood terrines and mousses, pickled shrimp (nice alternative to shrimp cocktail), crab cakes, Alsace-style onion tart, roast turkey breast with bread stuffing, deep-fried Cajun-style turkey; roast chicken. Sides: roasted butternut squash; stewed potatoes/carrots/kale with light curry. Leftovers: Pot pie; chicken or turkey curry salad

Unique World Wines
770-420-2331
$18

Medium-bodied dry rose; medium lovely deep reddish pink. Aromas and flavors of strawberry and red raspberry with a touch of rhubarb, lively aromatic brown spice notes. Refreshing, light on the palate, but not wimpy. Plenty of acidity to keep the finish clean. A blend of Grnache, Mourvedre and Syrah. Serve moderately chilled, about 55 degrees, in white wine glasses.

Great aperitif wine with an antipasto platter, shrimp cocktail, bacon-wrapped grilled scallops or chicken livers, teriyaki anything, ham croquetas, pinwheel sandwiches. Dinner: roast turkey with plain bread stuffing; roast duck with raisin bread stuffing; grilled slightly spiced quail, and, incredibly, artichoke hearts combined with other flavors.

Empire Distributing
404-349-1780
$16

Medium-bodied, dry, limpid purple-crimson wine. Aromas of black and red raspberries, with bold, deep flavors capturing red and black raspberry flavors. Exotic spices on the entry, but with a notch of dried herb at the close. Easy on the tannins. No oak. Grenache (60%), with Mourvиdre and Syrah splitting the balance. Like a nouveau but without that awful bubble-gummy character they often have. A brilliant piece of work. Serve cool, about 55-60 degrees (cellar temperature) in large-bowled glasses. Don't discuss it; just savor it. Even easier: Bottled in screwcap.

Beginning to end of the meal: Peppered liver pаtй; Patak's smoked liverwurst; antipasto meats and cheeses. Roast duck with raisin bread stuffing; Cornish hen brushed with melted red wine jam; turkey with sage-accented cornbread stuffing (extraordinary); pasta with salsa puttanesca or other well-seasoned fresh tomato sauce; chicken, quail. Also roast pork. Dessert: milk or dark chocolate-covered raspberries or chocolate filled with raspberry.

Quality Wine & Spirits
404-367-9463
$25

Full-bodied slightly sweet apple wine; reddish gold. A fun and different sipper for dessert. Aromas and flavors of crushed apples and candied apple, with a touch of mulling spices. Gracious long, clean, crisp finish. Cidery---or in Quebec French "ciderie"--says 5 kilos (about 11 pounds) of McIntosh and Spartan apples go into each 378 ml. bottle. Moderate alcohol, about 12%. Flavors speak the season: fall fruits for cold weather. Crisp, bracing, snappy. Serve moderately chilled, about 55 degrees, in small-bowled glasses. Due now in market, so ask retailer to order.

Potential first course: Foie gras with sauted apples, then deglaze the pan with Applejack and pour over foie gras. Apple turnover or Australian-style apple slices; tarte tatin, pumpkin or sweet potato tart; cheeses, such as Cambozola (a creamy German blue cheese) with sauted apple slices. Also pound cake, langues de chat, madeleines, short breads

Quality Wine & Spirits
404-367-9463
$30/375 ml.

Full-bodied, viscous, dark golden-edged amber sweet wine. Aromas and flavors of molasses, dried fruits (raisins, dates), toffee, roasted coffee, brown aromatic spices, and treacle. Talk about complex. Pedro Ximenez is a grape type typically devoted to making these unctuous, luxurious wines. Grapes are spread onto straw mats and dried in the sun, which evaporates water and concentrates sugars. Blended from a 34-year-old solera; minimum eight years aging before being bottled. Serve cool in copitas or other small glasses.

Nut-based desserts, firm aged or bleu cheeses with spiced nuts; milk chocolate.

Empire Distributing
404-349-1780
$14/500 ml.