Thanksgiving Day - What are you drinking?

[Jeff_M1]

I bought a magnum of 2005 Neal Howell Mountain for Turkey Day although I may save that for Xmas and open a 2006 Neal NV cab instead.

[Jeff_M1]

What’s the strategy with guests coming over who don’t appreciate/know anything about wine. Do you give them the house red/white and keep a special bottle in the kitchen?? Our do you just ball out and everyone gets the good wine as it’s a holiday?

In a normal year, we typically will have several cheap bottles from Costco and pour those instead of nicer wines for guests/family who don’t appreciate the good stuff.

[Anthony_C]

Due to smaller immediate family gatherings, how many are foregoing the traditional turkey and opting for a smaller bird, or ham? This might be a bad year for turkey producers. I’m leaning ham with a Ridge zin or a west coast pinot, but who knows. Grilled steaks or Prime rib?

Kentucky Aged Country Ham as a main. Not sure on the sides yet. Will still have a ton of leftovers but I’d rather eat ham for two weeks than turkey (which seems to dry out too fast as leftovers). We’re only cooking for four. My family across the country is cooking the same meal.

Specifically we’re going with a Heidseick “Gout Americain” Champagne and a 1990 Beaucastel.

[G_Curd]

2016 Aubert Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
2006 Dominus Estate Blend
Joh Jos Prum 2002 Spatelese
Joh Jos Prum 2005 Auslese for the evening.

A random selection for a small gathering of immediate family. Unfortunately no extended family this year, but would rather be safe than sorry.

[Dan_Hammer]

What’s the strategy with guests coming over who don’t appreciate/know anything about wine. Do you give them the house red/white and keep a special bottle in the kitchen?? Our do you just ball out and everyone gets the good wine as it’s a holiday?

I pour a tasting of the good wine for the people that enjoy a good glass. I let them do the refill. Sometimes they may not like what I poured, that’s why I do the short pour. No need to waste it. For the others (like my sister), i leave a perfectly acceptable bottle close to her and the others. I’ve let them taste the better wine over the years, but they’re not really interested. All she wants is a glass of white or red. Oh well. I tried.

[Albert_R]

Bedrock all around! A Monte Rosso and a Cab.

[Steve_Crawford]

Thanksgiving is cancelled this year. Let’s see what next year brings.

beyond the virtue signaling, why post if you aren’t saying ‘im drinking x,y, or z.’?

as far as myself, ill be opening some peter michael chard.

looking for sympathy for an inability to have a usual Thanksgiving gathering.

well the sky is blue. this year being different is universal. but thanksgiving could be a pack of ho ho’s and 2 40’s of steel reserve. doesn’t have to be montrachet and fried turkey with 40 members of family.
thanksgiving what you elect/choose to make of it.

[Scott_Jameson]

What’s the strategy with guests coming over who don’t appreciate/know anything about wine. Do you give them the house red/white and keep a special bottle in the kitchen?? Our do you just ball out and everyone gets the good wine as it’s a holiday?

Everybody gets the same wines. Usually there are several bottles open and people can choose what they like. This year is not usual and that means fewer people and fewer bottles open, but each guest should find something. If not, there’s beer and bourbon …

[Chris_Seiber]

What’s the strategy with guests coming over who don’t appreciate/know anything about wine. Do you give them the house red/white and keep a special bottle in the kitchen?? Our do you just ball out and everyone gets the good wine as it’s a holiday?

I wouldn’t segregate the wine caliber among the guests, myself. The question to me had been whether to pour people wines they like, versus geeky wines that are theoretically a better pairing with Thanksgiving dinner food. Of course, it depends on the group in question as to which approach to take, but just for myself, I have tried and failed at the latter, and have shifted instead to the former.

Basically, my thought is “what wines go at least decently enough with the food and are wines that the people at dinner actually like to drink?” So I tend towards Champagne and then chardonnay and pinots that have good acids - those seem to work the overlap in the Venn Diagram well enough.

I can add different kinds of wines into the afternoon while cooking and into the later evening after the food. I guess those times are also your opportunity to throw in a splurge type bottle and direct it towards people who will dig it, rather than just putting that out on the table at dinnertime.

[Yao_C]

It’ll be just the two of us this year, so I’m going to take a flyer on a 1989 Fonsalette Syrah with highly questionable ullage (good color though!)

2006 Dominus Estate Blend

<3

[Markus_S]

Thanksgiving is cancelled this year. Let’s see what next year brings.

beyond the virtue signaling, why post if you aren’t saying ‘im drinking x,y, or z.’?

Nothing to signal: if I won’t be having a Thanksgiving meal, then there is nothing I’ll be drinking with it. Sorry for the bummer, but that’s 2020 in a nutshell.

[Tom_Chen]

Doing the annual dry brined Diestel Family Ranch Organic Heirloom turkey (14-15 lbs). Will start the process Sunday night.

Planning on at least one of the recent Ravenswood Library Release wines (likely zin).

Also, probably a 2017 Lewis Barcaglia Chardonnay and a pinot (possibly a 2009 Marcassin MV).

[StephenM1]

A different Thanksgiving in our small bubble and zooming in the older kids, but determined to press on:

• with appetizers: 2003 Bollinger Champagne RD

• with turkey dinner: 1997 Angelus and 2001 Pape Clement

• with dessert: 2006 Mr. K Strawman

[G_Curd]

It’ll be just the two of us this year, so I’m going to take a flyer on a 1989 Fonsalette Syrah with highly questionable ullage (good color though!)

2006 Dominus Estate Blend

<3

I bought this one in 2006 and have been patient


That is a great idea to take a chance. I hope it is a perfect bottle! If it is you will have an absolute stunner for Thanksgiving. The CT notes for that bottle show that it is in a great place and is a super bottle.

[T_Altmayer]

Opening an 06 Comtes while cooking and then a rose from A Tribute to Grace. I’m sure there will be others, but that is the plan for now.

Even with less people, having turkey and sides. Probably only doing one pie, but other than that it will be the same menu, just scaled back for 4.

[MChang]

Making duck; guessing I’ll open some champ and burg, not sure which yet.

[Rodrigo_B]

Making duck as well. Opening up a few spatlese and auslese rieslings to pair with with the Thai ginger chilli glaze. Obviously some champagne to start off, thinking 1999 Couche Sensation, and maybe something else if needed. A 46 Sobilane Rivesaltes with dessert to celebrate recent events.

[Ken_Strauss]

Only 4 this year but still making a turkey.
I am thinking Comtes 2006 to start.
Aubert sugar shack 2012
Turley Hayne Vineyard Petite Syrah 2010 with the turkey.

[Mike_Evans]

I’ll just be joining my brother and his family. They’ve been getting much more interested in wine over the past year and are big fans of Rhys, so I’m bringing a 2007 Rhys Skyline Vineyard Pinot Noir and a Champagne to be determined.

[JohnP]

Picked up a Babcock Ocean Ghost a few weeks ago when I visited Santa Barbara; that will be in the lineup. Also, sourced a 98 Riojanas Rioja G.R. through RareWineCo that I hope will perform well. Maybe a Kratcher 12 for dessert.