This year’s theme is simple: drown out the whine with wine!
We try to be good sports, but the truth is Thanksgiving can be a one-day jail sentence. Crying babies, bratty toddlers, your brother-in-law with the hair-trigger temper. We’re there to spend time with family, share a good meal, but deep down we know it’s often more stressful than it’s worth. Most of us do Thanksgiving because we would never hear the end of it if we didn’t.
On a day that is so not about you, the one thing you can do for yourself is bring a bottle of wine — or 12 — that make you happy. You can be totally selfish – yet still look like a hero.
In order to know which variety (notice we said variety and not varietal, oenophiles!) to bring, you have to zero on your favorite food of the day.
Are you’re a nibbler? Do you love to graze on cheeses, chips, crudite? Then bring a well-rounded red wine. There are some really good affordable options. So save your money for your shrink the next day.
California’s Candor Winery makes a surprisingly polished, $20 merlot with its LOT 5.
A red with a little more kick is the 2011 Torbreck Cuvee Juveniles from Australia’s Barossa Valley. This $24 bottle packs a punch, with notes of spicy ginger that battle with the tartness of dark cherry for control of your tastebuds.
If white is more your speed to wash down the salty snacks, 2012 Chardonnay from Napa’s Franciscan Estate is delightful. At $18, it’s pretty fly even for a red guy.
If your sole mission is to horde the bird and all the fixin’s, there are dozens of ways to pair this meal. Something with a little body will be the best crowd pleaser. Alexander Valley Vineyards has a lovely range of Zinfandels (like the Sin Zin, Redemption or Temptation — $12-22) that are palate pleasing without overpowering the meal. These are not white Zinfandels people! Do your homework.
There’s also no shame in looking to Italy to round out our all-American dinner. We loved the 2012 Allegrini Valpolicella Classico. A bargain at $17, it’s fruity, tart and a little spicy on the nose and tongue. It’s a good first, second and third bottle.
If you really love your family, bring along the 2011 Jordan Chardonnay from California’s Russian River Valley. Tastes like a bargain at $36 given its beautiful nose and silky toffee taste that will restore life to even the driest bird.
A final suggestion — and one that works well with all aspects of the meal — is the 2010 Prazo de Roriz from Portugal’s Douro Valley. A great deal at $16. It can withstand the acidity of the cranberry sauce and isn’t too dry to put against the turkey and stuffing. The bottle opens with a nose of port, but quickly dances on the tongue. Has an amazingly long finish for the price point.
On to dessert. Pairing with the pies is no easy task, but the Canoe Ridge 2011 Reserve Chardonnay from Washington is up to the challenge. It starts out citrusy, but the buttery mouthfeel that will cut the spice of the pumpkin pie or the tart sweetness of the cherry or apple pies. “I hate white wines but I can drink this s—,” said one of our red-obsessed guest tasters. A steal at $16!
Or, if you’re just too damn stuffed to even think about more food, just drink your dessert. The Hogue Gewürztraminer from Washington’s Columbia Valley is just $10 – and all by itself gives you the sweetness you need to end the day.