It's important to pair wine with flavors that compliment, not contradict. Your Thanksgiving table will probably have a lot of food that is on the sweet side, and you'll want wines that have residual sugar, that are dry with good acidity, and will compliment your recipes. Here are five of Natale Servino's favorite choices for your Thanksgiving Table this year. Hint: Some of them are available on the Servino Wine List right now!
REISLING
You don't have to travel to the Austrian Mountains to find a great Reisling. Traditionally, this is is the favorite choice for a white wine at Thanksgiving, and the Scribe Winery Reisling will not disappoint. This organic wine is made from Sonoma grapes that are picked early in the season to keep the alcohol level low (around 11.5%). It is the perfect balance of fruit and sweetness to compliment your succulent ham.
GRENACHE:
While the Northern Rhone Wine Region is probably on your bucket list, you don't need to look that far for this classic wine. Made from grapes grown in the hillside vineyards of Amador County, just outside the Sierra foothills, which has a very similar terrior and growing conditions to the Rhone Region. Our favorite this year is a Grenache Blend from Favia that is deep and rich in texture and flavor, yet has just the right amount of Tannin structure to compliment roasts and glazes that are on your table.
PINOT NOIR:
It's hard to be at a loss for a great Pinot, with all of the wonderful examples available in Northern California. We keep finding ourselves going back to the "Queen" of the Russian River Valley, Merry Edwards. While her Vineyard Designate selections are always highly desired, her Russian River Appalachian Pinot Noir always has the perfect balance of fruit and structure to compliment delicate meats, and fall vegetables.
ZINFANDEL:
Stemming from our Italian roots, the Turley Zinfandel bucks the trend, and continuously lets the ripe fruit notes of the Zinfandel grape shine without trying to overwork the wine to be bigger and bolder than it wants to be. Our pick this year from the Turley line-up is the Kirschenmann Vineyard Zinfandel.
BUBBLES:
What would a celebration be w/o bubbly. Caraccioli Cellars in the Santa Lucia Highlands produces some great examples that would rival your favorite Champagne houses in France. The 2012 Brut is almost equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with elegant notes of White Peach, and aromas of toasted brioche. This wine is the perfect way to start or end a meal, and don't be afraid to pair your favorite foods with bubbles. It's perfect to complement canapes, appetizers, and cured meats and cheeses, as well as a brilliant way to enhance your mom's apple pie.
Happy Thanksgiving!