Looking for good Thanksgiving wine!

I am looking for a few good Thanksgiving wines. I am hoping to find a good balance between sweet and dry (preferably a white wine) that does not have an overwhelming acidity but can balance good with a large, filling meal. Does anyone have any suggestions? Maybe a list of five or ten to chose from?

Crissie,
Depending on how the turkey is prepared, a good Riesling or even a Cava would work well. Folks here will come up better suggestions.
-Shaji

[Jenise]

Crissie, Thanksgiving is one of the hardest meals to attach just one wine to because of the tendency for sweet foods like brown-sugar glazed yams and cranberry relish, not to mention Grandma's jello salad. Which also makes it the perfect occasion on which to open and serve one white and one red at the same time. Reisling, as Shaji mentioned, is an easy match, and so are the spicy off-dry notes of your average Gewurztraminer. For reds, I tend to like red-fruited wines from the lighter end of the spectrum, like pinot noir and sangiovese.

Although I agree with the Riesling suggestions, I tend to red wines at Thanksgiving. A Sparkling Shiraz is wonderful with the turkey and all the trimmings. I have also had a lot of success with a fruity, spicy Zinfandel. A red Burgundy also works really well.

Crissie, Thanksgiving is one of the hardest meals to attach just one wine to because of the tendency for sweet foods like brown-sugar glazed yams and cranberry relish, not to mention Grandma's jello salad. Which also makes it the perfect occasion on which to open and serve one white and one red at the same time..

I guess it all depends how many people are at the table, but you could easily open up more than that as well!

And it also depends what your Thanksgiving is like. In my family it's so informal that it doesn't really matter what wine I serve. There are more important things to worry about, like who prefers what for dessert!

A not overly sweet California Viognier (say Jemrose) works well also.

Hmm... Jemrose Viognier at Thanksgiving... there's a thought.

Thanks Dan, hadn't considered it (but was wondering when I should next open one of those bottles).

I have very much enjoyed viognier from Domaine de Triennes at Thanksgiving, love the fragrant floral flavors that match with the fragrant dishes.

We've done it blind before, and surprisingly a Moscato d'Asti was a fav. I would also open a Bourgogne, and a Vouvray. Of course you will never go wrong with a sparkler (for this meal I would pick a blanc de noirs). Chateau St. Michelle Blanc de Noirs is a good one ($10), Schramsberg Rose' will hit the spot (around $26-$30). One of each of these and you will have happy campers. You might want 2 of the Bourgogne (try Bouchard Aine & Fils '07 or '08, or Louis Jadot '08 Bourgogne). A nice '09 Cru Beaujolais would not be out of place either. Please tell us what works for you.

Yes, it's hard to match every dish (assuming the tradition holiday meal). Some buttery, some tangy, some sweet. I usually go with an off-dry bubbly. The acidity works with part of the meal, the slight sweetness with others.

Brun FRV100 or Bugey -Cerdon would be a good choice for a sweeter, lower alcohol wine.

[James Roscoe]

Anything from Hart Cellars is always welcome on my holiday table, especially his Gamay. Of course Steve Edmund's Gamay is no slouch either. It's like slathering on more cranberry sauce!

[David M. Bueker]

Crissie,

Not sure where you will be shopping, so specific recommendations might be a little hard to find. With that in mind I will append my list with a couple of "readily available" choice that, while not my favorites, should work to your specifications. Most of these should not run you more than $25 bucks, and in some cases much less than that.

Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett Halbtrocken (Mosel - Germany)
Schaefer-Frohlich Riesling Medium Dry (Nahe - Germany)
St. Urbans-Hof Riesling 'Urban' (Mosel - Germany)
Trimbach Riesling 'Reserve' (Alsace, France)
Trimbach Pinot Gris 'Reserve' (Alsace, France)
Hugel 'Gentil' (Alsace, France) - this one is a blend of many grapes that is easy to drink & very aromatic
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling Eroica (Washington State, USA)

Hopefully that will be a useful list. I think any of the wines could work to your needs.

Although I agree with the Riesling suggestions, I tend to red wines at Thanksgiving. A Sparkling Shiraz is wonderful with the turkey and all the trimmings. I have also had a lot of success with a fruity, spicy Zinfandel. A red Burgundy also works really well.

Love the idea of a Sparkling Shiraz , Ken!

Since we're talking Thanksgiving wine, this year I'm going with a couple of Mondeuse wines from the Savoie. Should be a good match with many of the attributes that we all appreciate about Beaujolais but with more palate weight for a few of my family members.

Whites will be whatever German riesling, Muscadet, or Loire chenin get opened. I.E. the same white wines I drink all year round.

As you get ready for Thanksgiving, it has come and gone at my house in Canada. The varied nature of the foods eaten, do make it difficult to choose. Jenise, as usual, gave a great answer. This year, I made roasted turkey thighs. As, there was a large amount of garlic and onion in the flavour, any red would do. (no cranberrys). Everyone loved the roast potatoes with the turkey garlic onion gravy. Stickies work well to finish such meals. I find that when at wine tastings, of whites, it is fun to try and locate wines most suitable for Thanksgiving or for that matter Chinese Food. There are some good choices, but rarely available in my home town.

I will be taking some bottles of wine to a communal Thanksgiving dinner following a church service (Episcopalians so alcohol is not forbidden.) I plan to take Trimbach Gewurztraminer, a Riesling (probably St. Urbans-hof Ockfener Bockstein), a Londer Paraboll Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley, CA)and either a Beaujolais Cru or a red Burgundy. I like the lighter reds such as the Beaujolais Cru or a fruity Burgundy with turkey (some Burgundies and Pinot Noir have cranberry flavor that matches the cranberry sauce) and unoaked white wines such as Riesling and Gewurztraminer are also nice with turkey. I may take a bottle of Bugey Cerdon also (a slightly sweet sparkling red wine from France) as it is quite festive. Maybe I wil pick up some raspberry/chocolate candies to serve with the Bugey Cerdon if any of the bottle remains after the main courses. I was also thinking of taking a Zinfandel (the "American" wine) but that may be too many bottles. May include one and let others decide which bottles to open and which to leave unopened. I have a Hendry Zin or one from Jeff Runquist I could take--also a number of Zins from Biale but they tend to be quite high in alcohol and might impair the driving.