Thanksgiving Dinner Wines - the eternal selection process

[David M. Bueker]

This morning I started the process of selecting wines for Thanksgivng dinner. If my full suite of selections gets opened everyone will sleep until Christmas. So the preliminary selections of 2 Champagnes, 1 mag and 1 full bottle of Beaujolais, 2 Rieslings and a dessert wine will have to get whittled down somewhat. Of course my parents and Salil will be coming to dinner & that means more wine.

I thinking I will settle for a bottle of Rose Champagne (Clouet), a bottle of Riesling (TBD), and the mag of Beaujolais ('05 Burgaud Morgon Cote du Py).

Anybody else?

Similar thoughts here. I will be starting with 2008 pink bubbly (100% PN - haven't tried it yet - just finished riddling 5 bottles and will disgorge tomorrow), Riesling (perhaps one of the MI ones that JuliaB gifted me), 2009 Steuben Rosé and either a 2007 Gamay or a 2008 PN.

I've selected the following:
Bugey Cerdon
05 Donnhoff Kab
09 Araujo Sauv Blanc
08 Beaujolais-Village
07 Shea Vyd PN
94 Araujo Cab (for cheese course)
99 Buon Natale Orange Muscat
01 Garretson Berwyn LH Roussanne

Next night we go to The Bazaar. I'm briging 98 Clos Erasmus and 97 Rotllan Torra as a backup.

What's the dessert wine and the second Champagne? Inquiring minds want to know!

I'm still trying to decide what to bring. Barou St. Joseph, sparkling Huet, one of my 09 Vissoux, 'older' Spats (99 Zilliken, Leitz Schlossberg or 94 Weil Grafenberg), Clos Roche Blanche Cabernet or Baudry Franc de Pied (assuming it reaches on time) are all options.

I bring the wine for my family and the selection process is usually pretty simple: Whatever Rahsaan wants to drink that isn't too expensive (folks will not exactly be analyzing the stuff).

[David M. Bueker]

What's the dessert wine and the second Champagne? Inquiring minds want to know!

I'm still trying to decide what to bring. Barou St. Joseph, sparkling Huet, one of my 09 Vissoux, 'older' Spats (99 Zilliken, Leitz Schlossberg or 94 Weil Grafenberg), Clos Roche Blanche Cabernet or Baudry Franc de Pied (assuming it reaches on time) are all options.

Inquiring minds are not going to find out until Thursday.

But one thing: Laura likes Huet bubbly!

I've got to go into the cellar and pick. I think that a Kosta Browne may be in order. Not sure what else. That project is for later today. I know not to bring SB.

I will probably open a Champagne, a Pinot Gris if I can find one in Ft. wayne of quality, and a nice but cheapish Pinot Noir. Only one other attendee, my sister-in-law, will be at all interested in what I open but most will join in drinking. I really like Pinot Gris with the sage dressing and I think a Champagne WITH the meal will nbe a new and novel change.

[James Roscoe]

Gamay and Pinot Noir will probably be the reds of choice and Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Blanc will be the whites. Sparkling is always on the menu. I wouldn't be surprised by a Dolcetto or Dornfelder making an appearance nor would a White Burgundy be unexpected. A wine geek friend is bringing the wines and he is always a pleasant surprise!

I like a Champagne to start (before the meal), then there will be Moscato d'Asti, Beaujolais Nouveau, Cru Beaujolais, and maybe a Vouvray with the meal. A rose' would not be out of place here, but I'll probably not have one. Asti afterward with the pumpkin pie. I don't like to compete too much with the food, let the wines play a supporting role. It works, and our blind tastings have shown a slightly sweet wine to pair well with everything.

American "champagne" to start and St Innocent Pinot Noir and a Riesling on the table for dinner. While I'm trying to stick to all-American wines, I may opt for a French dessert wine but I'll also have a real nice local pumpkin ale.

Once again I am going to a communal church Thanksgiving dinner after a noon service. Two of us our bringing wine. (I'm also taking "party potatoes" and a pumpkin cake/cream cheese roll.) We will have Cajun fryer turkey and maybe a traditional roasted turkey as well, sweet potatoes, broccoli-cheese casserole and a number of other dishes. We have invited some Mexican farm worker families from the Newton Grove congregation to join us. We are also collecting blankets and coats to hand out.
I am taking Trimbach Gewurztraminer, two bottles of Julienas Beaujolais Cru, two bottles of Stoller Pinot Noir from Oregon and possibly an Eric Ross or other Zinfandel and a Tawny Port for the dessert course.

I should probably sneak in pretending to be a newbie to say this, but I think Lancers Rose probably goes best with a turkey dinner. I don’t pair wines with food, myself, which is probably obvious from my comment; instead I drink Bordeaux with everything. But we will have my father and his wife for dinner, and my wife, Lynn, suggested having something someone else might like. She will probably talk me into a California Pinot Noir, which I don’t necessarily think goes with the variety of dinner flavors, but it will be American and I can’t afford a properly aged, good California Cabernet Sauvignon, which would be my personal second choice after Bordeaux.

Probably a Field Stone (Alexander Valley) Viognier and a Zin - Ridge Geyserville or maybe Yoakim Bridge. Vintages TBD.

John

Boy am I predictable. This year, as last, I'm starting with Chandon Étoile Brut, then a riesling (Radog Santa Lucia Highlands last year, Carpenter Creek from Washington state this year), 2006 Navarro pinot noir Ancienne, and Navarro gewürz juice. Don't mess with success, I say.

I'm surprised at the level of wines others are bringing out. I look for good wines in a compatible style, but avoid anything old or otherwise requiring contemplation. I hope you enjoy your gems.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, how about a St. Innocent Momtazi in place of the Ancienne? And maybe I should have a dessert wine. Unfortunately, I already packed up the wines and am leaving straight from work, so I would have to ask my wife to brave the wine fridge, which is not exactly bar-coded.

...my wife, Lynn, suggested having something someone else might like.

Careful Covert. The next thing you know people will actually be drinking the wine and enjoying it! We can't have any of that on a national holiday. You need to calibrate Lynn's attitude, pronto.

I'm looking forward to 2006 Paul Lehrner Zweigelt Ried Claus. I've never had zweigelt before so it should be interesting. I'm sure the other selection will be Little Penguin Cabernet Sauvignon, which for the price is quite drinkable.

We are going to kill a box of Boho, Old Vine, California, Zinfandel. We will have somewhere between four and six wine drinkers. Don't mind if there is some leftover with a box!

Hm. From Oakley. It'll be ripe! Actually probably fine with all the turkey and yam and stuff.
John

Sounds like you will all be having fun. Happy Thanksgiving to all here!

[James Roscoe]

We ended up drinking about three cases of wine during the day if one includes the three bottles of delicious artisianal hard cider. There was a LOT of Gamay including some ESJ Bone-Joly which might be the perfect Thanksgiving red wine. There was also a lot of Riesling and some Picpuol. Let's not forget the six bottles of bubbly! A good time was had by all!