Once again, it is the time of year when we stop and listen to people reflect on their many blessings while they continue to lead merry little lives just as they always have. At Guy du Vin we are most thankful for the obvious blessing that we weren’t born a turkey (at least in the narrowest sense of that word). It is safe to say that the biggest turkey in the house is not always the one resting on the serving platter.
One blessing that we can count on is wine. However, most blessings tend to be mixed ones and wine and food matches for Thanksgiving dinner fall into that mixed blessing category.
Guy du Vin is here to help. The following are a few guidelines to help you match your Thanksgiving tidbits with some great wine. And remember, not only can we help when it comes to choosing wine during the Holiday Season; we can also assist in pointing out your culinary failures and personal flaws as well. Just give us a call.
Here is a helpful tip for your Thanksgiving Extravaganza – a good host always COMPLETELY REMOVES the foil from the Swanson’s Frozen Turkey TV Dinner before serving! Your guests will notice your flair for presentation!
Guy du Vin’s Annual Thanksgiving Wine and Food Regulations
Rule #1 No matter which wine you pick, it will not work perfectly with everything you serve (unless you serve only one dish – in which case you may skip all of the following rules). There are dozens of flavor combinations spread on the table – the turkey, the cranberry sauce, the potatoes – all probably call for a separate wine. So, it is best to serve a favorite wine or just match up a single dish or two.
Rule #2 No matter what anyone says roast turkey doesn’t work well with wine. Turkey often makes wine taste a little metallic, especially wines that are tannic and astringent (like Cabernet Sauvignon). Wines that emphasize fruit and that are generally fuller bodied seem to work best.
Rule #3 Be careful not to serve your wine at too cool a temperature. Cooler temperatures tend to reduce a wine’s fruity element. Rich fruit is what makes a wine blend better with Thanksgiving flavors.
Rule #4 Due to the renewal of the Homeland Security Act, rule #4 is still classified Secret. (Violate rule #4 and it’s a one-way trip to Gitmo for you – where you will have a choice of being waterboarded or forced to read “Going Rogue” – twice.)
Rule #5 In general, avoid wines with high alcohol levels (above 13.5 %). Wines with high alcohol tend to taste unbalanced and overpowering with food.
Rule #6 If your budget allows (and whose doesn’t these days), open a number of wines and let your guests choose the one they prefer. This takes the pressure off of you and the wine (unless you are the type of person that tends to make “groups” of bad wine choices rather than “individual” bad wine choices).
Keep your extra special wines for another occasion – like the day after Thanksgiving when all the guests are gone.
Following are some wine suggestions for a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner.
Start with a sparkling wine – set a festive mood. I suggest an Italian Moscato d’Asti or Brachetto. These are lightly sweet and slightly fizzy wines that EVERYONE will enjoy (no matter how big a wine snob they might be). Plus they are very low in alcohol, 5% – 7%. Thanksgiving isn’t really that serious a meal and these wines are just meant to be fun.
Fruity Reds! Oregon Pinot Noir can be a fairly good choice when it comes to red wine and turkey time. It works well with the variety of foods and flavors.