Gobble, gobble, gobble. Thanksgiving is around the corner (gosh, it was cold and clammy in Minneapolis today!) and I’ve started thinking about what would be good with a Thanksgiving dinner. I’m thinking a nice bottle of sparkly to start, maybe a nice chard, then some pinot or syrah, and a nice port to finish it off. One of my favorite holidays!
What will you be pouring this year?
I can guarantee a nice Pinot Noir and a nice Icewine. I cannot be specific at this moment. I will follow up the thread with details.
My Veleta Tempranillo Rose 2012 as it is very versatile is my go to Thanksgiving wine. I have some of our Cab 2005 stashed away in the warehouse our Don Miguel. Then if any guests bring something fun we will probably open it as well.
Well, it IS Burgundy Thursday
Rhys and Aubert for sure. Possibly some Krug, and a mag of 08 Maybach with dessert if it turns into a party (it usually does!)
Since Thanksgiving is at its heart a harvest celebration I think Im going to just drink 2013 wines this year that have finished malo.
Need something AMERICAN. How about some “Burgundian” California pinot noir??
We have a huge group, so we tend to stay under $30 a bottle, except for the tasting.
Current lineup:
Sparkler of some sort
2011 Capiaux Chimera
Hermann J. Weimer Riesling
Small Domestic Syrah tasting (Alban, Booker, SQN, Lillian, Villa Creek)
Ice wine
Im not certain about the specific wines yet, but it we always drink the same varieties/styles.
Bubbles (I think a Latecia)
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir (I think a Coleman Nicole)
Port (I think 1980 Gould)
Going large format this year:
Mags of 2012 Merry Edwards Sauv Blanc, 2008 Rhys Alesia Sonoma Coast, 1999 Dunn Napa Valley Cab, 2010 Martinelli Guiseppe & Luisa Zin and a 3.0L of 2000 Frank Family Reserve Cab.
Zins and Beaujolais almost always fit the bill for my Thanksgiving.
Have not planned a specific line-up but it will be a mix of the two. Just nice wines that will pair well with food and good company.
My tradition has become Champagne while cooking…and Cru Bojo (from Mag) for the meal…
For those recommending cru bojo, does (young) Côte de Brouilly work?
None of my guests are remotely interested in wine but will drink anything I open. Therefore I don’t worry too much about what I’ll open for Thanksgiving, but nothing I hold too dear. A good chance to clear my cellar.
I’m always surprised that people think about this so far in advance. I won’t even think about it until the night before or that morning.
I have a bunch of in-law family coming over, which means I (happily) play chef/somm. None are that into wine, but want to drink “good stuff”. Bubbles, cali chard, Pinot, Zin, stickies and syrah will all be poured. Brined, dry rubbed, and indirect cooked turkey on the BGE is the main event.
My family members think Im weird because I am so obsessed with Thanksgiving. I think about it and plan recipes randomly all year long. Its a FOOD and WINE holiday. How could that not be important?
Berry, I didn’t say it wasn’t important. For us, Thanksgiving is very traditional so we eat the same things pretty much each year which is the same things we ate when our parents hosted. Plenty of time to decide what to drink. Plus I’ll probably be going to 3 or 4 wine dinners before Thanksgiving. I can only think about one dinner at a time.
Makes sense.
We do all the “traditional” dishes but I try and approach them in a creative and refined manner (not to say that the simple traditional recipes aren’t great too). The one thing Ive started to do that is not traditional is the turkey itself. It was hard for me to get away from the iconic whole bird on the table archetype but Ive come to butcher a mostly dark-meat heirloom bird into pieces (or just use thighs) and then braise it with oyster juices, thyme, sage, onion and cream. The oysters may seem weird but shellfish was actually a big part of the early historic thanksgiving harvest dinners and it ads an umami quality that just really works.
Sorry for the thread drift…
Sounds great Berry but that would cause a revolution in my house. We eat turkey (whole) once a year whether we like it or not.