Mastering the Thanksgiving Table & Wine

Counting down the days to Thanksgiving or upcoming holiday dinner parties and overwhelmed with which wine to pair with your dishes? Let the Bottle Shop guide you to master the holiday table and giving you more time to entertain. After all, our main philosophy is that wine is food.

If you are really short on time, grab a few bottles  Pinot Noir and you are all set.  Remember, no single wine is going to be perfect with the variety of food you are serving. So pick a few versatile styles that will work with your dishes.

Here is the game plan: 

Start with a palate cleanser or a good pairing for any appetizers is a decent sparkling wine. Bubbles can contrast beautifully with deep fried foods, puff pastry, hard cheeses and counter balance spiciness. In any event, it wouldn't hurt by having some extra sparkling around.

Red or White? You can do both. For traditional meals, the best choice is to offer both red and white and allow guests to try it themselves. If you can't decide, Rosé is terrific at Thanksgiving. It is definitely a multi-tasking wine that is greatly needed at the Thanksgiving table.  Rosés are especially great when it comes to spicy foods, and we have of the best ones out there.

Vegetable side dishes like green beans or roasted vegetables will be great with white wine. A white wine with some body and a slight hint of oak is perfect with a roasted turkey and rich gravy. Riesling is a great adaptable white wine, one of the most versatile wine in the world. No other grape retains its natural acidity like Riesling. From bone-dry to sweet, the wine can cut through many flavor rich dishes. You can even pair Riesling with a red meat like lambs. In fact, Riesling is great with fatty poultry, goose, duck, and any salty meats and cheeses. If you are serving seafood at your table, Riesling is also a good choice for lobsters and crabs.

Fruity and  juicy red wine that is medium bodied with mellow tannins will be a good pairing with the meat. Our choice is to go with the lighter styled Pinot Noir or Gamay.  To add to the American aspect of the meal, try Zinfandel  with any game or roasted lamb or steak with a fruit driven marinade or sauce.

Contributed by Monica Yu, Wine Buyer for Plume Ridge Bottle Shop