WHAT TO DRINK WITH THE BIRD!

image: foodandwine.com

Hi Wineaux -- I know this is last-minute, but a lot of you have been asking, so I'm putting down my study books and closing my script and ANSWERING YOUR CALL.

Thanksgiving can be a crazy time; figuring out what to drink shouldn't be. There are a few basic things to keep in mind:

1) Lots of Turkey Day food is, well, bland. Potatoes, stuffing, turkey... YAWN. Your wine should provide the PIZZAZ! However, now is not the time to pop open that super-concentrated, oak-aged, dense, intense Cab. It'll overwhelm.

2) You might love and appreciate wine, and Aunt Frieda is definitely a Wineau, but the rest of the fam? Maybe not. Look for excellent values, so when Uncle Fred puts ice cubes and a packet of Splenda in his red, you won't pass out.

3) Acid is always your friend, when it comes to food-and-wine pairing. You might not first think of red wines with turkey, but a high-acid red... PERFECTION.

Let's get to it! (PS all of this goes for the rest of your holiday dinners as well!!)

ALWAYS A WINNER: Champagne

Yes, this might violate guideline #2, but substitute a good-value sparkling wine made in the Champagne method and you're good to go.
WHY? Bubbles! Festive! And its acidity and rich toasty nutty flavors will pair perfectly.
Value -- Lucien Albrecht Crèmant d'Alsace ~$17, Gruet Blanc de Noirs (NM) ~$14 Louis Boillot Crèmant de Bourgogne Rosé ~$20.
Mid-price -- Taittinger Brut La Francaise Champagne ~$38, Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial Champagne ~$38.
Splurge -- Krug Grande Cuvée Champagne ~$160,  Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé Champagne ~$75.

DARK HORSE: Lambrusco

Skip the sweeter inexpensive versions and head straight for this herby, dark-fruited Italian bubbly.
WHY: Also bubbles! Rich earthiness and plum/blackberry fruits are lifted by its freshness.

Ca Montanari Opera 02 Lambrusco ~$17, Zanassi La Grasparossa Lambrusco ~$13.

FRESH AND FRUITY: Beaujolais

If you're tempted to throw a Beaujolais Nouveau in your cart, I won't stop you. But the mass-market ones are so ephemeral, you'll miss the gloriousness of what a Beaujolais with some oomph and character can give. If you do want in on the fun, ask for a smaller, recommended producer. Non-Nouveau is a different story! And named crus (named regions, like Morgon below,) will cost a bit more, but will definitely deliver, so a splurge here is worth it!
WHY: Gamay (the grape) is bright, fruity, and fresh. Flirty personality, and smooth sailing. And most are under $20-25.
Value -- Ch. du Basty Lantignié Beaujolais ~$12, Pierre-Marie Chermette Beaujolais ~$14
Splurge -- Marcel Lapierre Morgon Beaujolais ~$40

ALSO

A lighter-style Shiraz/Syrah shpicy crowdpleaser like Charles Smith Boom Boom Syrah (WA) ~$13 (I'm bringing this to our company's TGiving!)
Heavy-duty but real fruity oak-influenced Chardonnay like J. Lohr Riverstone Chardonnay (CA) ~$11 (This has been my dad's "house wine" for decades!)
A white with savory elements like a dry Furmint (Hungary) like Evolúció Tokaji Furmint ~$12 (I am obsessed with dry Tokaji!)
Or a Grüner Veltliner (Austria) with its white pepper/celery character, yet often with yummy stone fruit like the Weszeli Langelois ~$17
I'm also a sucker for a delish Sangiovese: Villa Sant'Anna Chianti Colli Senesi ~$19 or Antinori Santa Christina Chianti Superiore ~$13. Other Sangiovese wines are Rosso di Montalcino ($20-30 range,) and Brunello di Montalcino if you want to get a bit more splurgy, ask for good (and good-value) producers from your purveyors.
Other high-acid reds to look for: Pinot Noir from all around the globe, Zweigelt, Blaufrankish.

As always, many of these may not be available in your local wine shop; bring this list with you and ask for comparable suggestions! Your wine merchant should be your new best friend, always. This is just the tip of the iceberg; there are so many suggestions, you really can't go wrong... let me know what you paired with YOUR bird!!

Cheers.

GIVING THANKS: FOR WINE.

photo via How to Roast a Turkey (The Simple Way)by Aimee of Simple Bites

Oh, Wineaux - this is the perennial question: what, oh what, to serve with Thanksgiving dinner?!?!

This question transcends the usual food-and-wine-pairing quandaries.  Thanksgiving dinner is arguably the most scrutinized meal of the year for American families.  It is a gathering fraught with family-dynamic stresses.  Not to mention culinary ones: cooking a large turkey can be a pain in the rear.

Even if you have a relatively harmonious group of relatives and a sure-fire way of brining your bird, the fact of the matter is that Thanksgiving dinner is a pretty bland affair.

Boring turkey, fatty gravy, bready stuffing, other starchy sides mashed within an inch of their lives... maybe, just maybe, a tang of cranberry.  "What in the world do you pair with this?"  Wineaux ask me every year.

The answer is not that helpful:

"Pretty much anything."

Before you fling a spoonful of mashed potatoes in my face, hear me out.  With the exception of a humongous, hearty red wine, almost any other wine will stand up to this blob of boring, starchy food.

A white with a lot of acidity will cut through the fat of the gravy and butter-infused starches.  A heartier white with maybe less acidity will balance out the bland turkey (I mean, come on - even if it's juicy, turkey is pretty bland, people.)  A light red with good acidity and even a medium-bodied red will enliven the table of beige in front of you.

But wait - before you whine, "That Minx is no help at ALL, so we'll just open that Cheapo Chard Aunt Maud brought," let me implore you to have some fun with your wine choices this Thanksgiving!

You put an array of food out there on the table in front of you, why not do the same with wine?  Grab a few extra glasses off the shelf and let your guests pour a few different wines to sample with their meal.  Each guest can have a smorgasbord of food-and-wine-pairing options in front of him or her!

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Champagne or other sparkling wine: (White or Rosé)
Champagne is festive, Thanksgiving is festive, Champagne is Thanksgiving, QED.  Plus, the bubbles and acidity will perk up the food.  If your budget is tight, try a sparkling Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley, a Spanish Cava, or an American bubbly like my faves Gruet (from New Mexico, of all places!) and Domaine Chandon.

Grüner Veltliner from Austria: (White)
With light, citrus fruit and a characteristic note of white pepper, GV is an easy-drinking and affordable white option.  Just call it "Groo-ner."  While many people, myself included, usually think of Grüners as a summertime quaffer, they are a good wine to have on hand as a lighter option in this kind of array.

Alsatian Riesling, Gewürztraminer or Pinot Blanc: (White)
I have twice in the past month enjoyed outstanding wines from Alsace with my meal.  The 2005 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Clos des Capucins was viscous and rich with outrageously heady florals - a party in its own right, and perfect to pair with food.  (~$60)  Also, scroll down to the prior Hurricane post for my reports on some of MaisonTrimbach's amazing offerings.  Gewürz-es will have rounder fruit and spice, and the Pinot Blancs will show more clean citrus when they're young and gain a special complexity as they age.

Beaujolais (Beaujolais Nouveau): (Red)
Beaujolais is a region in France near Burgundy and it is where the Gamay grape shines.  Gamay is one of the lightest, flirtiest red grapes out there.  And later this week (Nov 15 to be exact,) le Beaujolais Nouveau will be arrivée!  The Nouveau is the first wine - from anywhere - released from this year's harvest, because the freshness of this grape requires no aging.  It is made to be consumed straightaway, so it coincides wonderfully with our Thanksgiving holiday, and darned if it doesn't go perfectly with this kind of meal.

Spanish Grenache: (Red)
Another favorite grape for the crunchy red berry, cranberry, pomegranate experience.  In many cases, it will also exhibit spicy notes, chocolate, and dark fruits for a richer experience.  Ask your wine merchant for a recommendation - as Grenache is a less-common solo grape variety, chances are your purveyor has hand-picked his or her selections and will be very familiar with their personalities.  These should also be quite affordable with many good options under $20.

The Boom Boom Syrah, a rosé from Provence,
and a bubbly (Cava) that is ALSO rosé!

New World Syrah: (Red)
Like our friend Grenache, Syrah wines can swing far into the spicy, meaty, big and bold range.  But there are some, like the 2011 Charles Smith Boom Boom Syrah from Washington state, that gloriously exhibit a berry salad of fruit.  I have written about this wine before, and return to it again and again for its fun personality and brightness.

Viognier: (White)
A white grape that should have more fans, Viognier is naturally lower in acid so often ends up as a richer wine-drinking experience in the glass.  Some styles are light and floral, but there are others - many from CA or Australia - that are quite complex.  And many from the South of France have intense herb and earthy notes.

Rosé: (erm, Rosé)
Finally people are catching on to the idea that rosé wines aren't just for the summer.  Since they can be made well from almost every red grape, just imagine the array of styles out there!  With the lightness of a white wine and the oomph from the red grape skins and personalities, you have to try at least one rosé with your Bird.  I did a post in 2011 highlighting a number of different styles if you need a few ideas: Rosé Around the World, or, Not Yo' Momma's White Zin.

Me: "Maggie, put the bottle down before you
drink it all, I need to get a picture for my blog!"

And, please, skip the White Zin - if you want something a little sweet, try a German Riesling Auslese or a slightly sweet Brachetto from Italy, like the NV Banfi Rosa Regale.  Muuuuuuch better.

Here's hoping your Thanksgiving is a glorious celebration with family and friends, and if it is also an opportunity to sample a few different wines, so much the better!

Cheers!

TOP 20 UNDER $20!

It’s time!  The long-awaited compilation for those with thirsty palates and savvy wallets has arrived.

Now that I’ve wrapped up the list, the theme of 2011 was generally out-of-the box ideas.  Not surprisingly, there were strong showings from France, Italy and Spain.  But South Africa provided three of the top 20, and Portugal, Argentina, Australia, Greece and Germany were also represented.  (I was shocked to realize no US wines made the list this year but 'that's the way the grape juice ferments'.)   Grape varieties were also all over the place, with some indigenous varieties, classic red blends, and TWO Rieslings!

The point of all this is to share with you some of my favorite wines that I have tasted over the past year that were incredible values.  Out of hundreds (if not thousands) of wines, I have culled these memorable standouts.

Read, take notes, get inspired, and most importantly – get out there and TASTE FOR YOURSELF!

#20) 2008 Vietti Moscato d'Asti Cascinetto, Italy ~$18

Very light and lightly sweet, with refreshing notes of peach & pear, this is a slightly sparkling wine perfect to get things started or wind things up. Charming and appealing.

#19) 2008 Azul Portugal Ribatejo, Portugal ~$12

A white blend of the Portugese indigenous grapes Trincadeira, Arinto and Fernão Pires. Lemony nose, with light acidity and notes of herbs, yellow apple, white flowers, and peach. Interesting and different. 

#18) 2009 Georges Duboeuf Morgon Jean Descombes, Beaujolais France ~$15

Notes of crunchy red fruit and violets. Good acidity, light in style but balanced with a lot going on.  Great example of Beaujolais.

 

#17) 2010 Pazo Señorans Albarino, Rias Baixas Spain ~$19

Perfumey and warm floral nose, with melon and a bit of spice. Round peachy fruit and jasmine florals.  Balanced acidity, rich but not heavy. 

#16) 2009 Bodegas Caro Amancaya, Mendoza Argentina ~$17

70% Malbec/ 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. Velvety plumminess, very smooth, with dense, dark fruits and herbs. Perfumey acidity lifts out blackberry and blueberry fruit.  Yum.

#15) 2008 Blason d'Aussieres Corbieres, Languedoc France ~$19

Great values continue to come from Southern France. This shows sage, cassis and cranberry couched in herbs. Looong finish, well-balanced, spicy and tart, notes of pepper, licorice, hint of barnyard. Great all-around.

#14) 2006 Annie Lane Cellars Clare Valley Riesling, Australia ~$12

Nose of round stone fruit and florals, with grass and white flowers. Bracing acidity. Light grassy aromatics, and a long, tart finish. Additional notes of honey and petrol show the few years of age.

#13) 2010 Nikiforou Cellars Moschofilero, Greece ~$12

Vibrant floral nose, with grapefruit, pear, florals and a some herb and mineral notes. Good balance and finish.  Wonderful example of the quality of Greek table wines of late.  Thirst-quenching!

#12) 2009 Protos Tinto Fino, Ribera del Duero Spain ~$15

Fantastic affordable Tempranillo.  Velvety plum and herby nose, behind-the-teeth sweetly tannic, good acidity but light in style, notes of bright plum and dark fruits – an all-around fun, ready to drink wine.

#11) 2010 Ken Forrester Estate Chenin Blanc Reserve, Stellenbosch South Africa ~$14

Light but well-balanced, with floral aromatics, rich and round notes of taffy, mountain flowers, and minerality.  Even with zippy acid, this is creamy and has a nice weight and long length with a bit o’ shpritz.  Perfect for food!

#10) NV Nino Franco Prosecco di Valdobiaddene Rustico, Italy ~$13

Sensuous nose of lime, florals and grass. Those notes also on the palate with a hint of lemon curd and underripe melon.  Rich mousse and sprightly acidity give a long finish with a nice weight.  Extremely worthy substitute for celebratory Champagne.

#9) 2010 Cercius Côtes du Rhône VV, France ~$14

Complex nose of red berries, earth, cola and floral perfume.  Great fruit expression with fresh herbs, licorice, lavender and a peppery finish.  Lightish in style but sumptuous with balanced acidity and soft tannins.

#8) 2010 Castello Banfi San Angelo Pinot Grigio, Italy ~$16

A pear explosion on the nose, with notes of florals, honeysuckle, melon and a bit of spice on the palate, with light citrus and good acid.  Tuscany’s first Pinot Grigio is a winner, a bit more evolved than many typical PG’s from Northern Italy.

#7) Clos de la Briderie Cremant de Loire, France ~$18

A sparkling blend of Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc in the brut (dry) style. Clean citrus and grass with a roundness of peach and wax. Nice weight and mousse.  Interesting and different from the “usual suspects.”  Good fruit expression, well-balanced, and a bit of a flirt.

#6) 2009 St. Urbans-Hof Riesling Kabinett Goldtröpfchen, Mosel Germany ~$19

Pepper and honeysuckle florals.  Candied orange peel, wonderful fruit expression of passion fruit and mandarin, with minerality, white florals, hint o’herbs, perfectly balanced acidity, bright and rich.  Very slightly, barely sweet, but oh so balanced.

#5) 2009 Domaine Grand Nicolet Côtes du Rhône-Villages VV Rasteau, France ~$16

Very spicy, black bramble fruits and pepper nose.  Outrageously heavy-duty but still refined.  Layers upon layers of herbs, licorice, warm spice, blackberry liqueur, smoked meats, black cherry syrup and mocha with good acidity and silky tannins.

#4) 2009 Aviva Vino Bula Montsant, Spain ~$12

50% Carinena, 30% Garnacha, 20% Syrah. Wowowowowow. Dense, earthy, spicy and warm.  Great fruit expression of dark cherries, cocoa powder, mesquite and blackberry liqueur.  Rich and integrated, really incredible value and an across-the-board favorite at its tasting.  And for only twelve bucks!?!

#3) 2010 Boekenhoutskloof Wolftrap Rosé, South Africa ~$12

This rosé is a blend of 66% Syrah, 20% Cinsault and 14% Grenache.  Nose of green pepper and mint, bold and spicy on the palate with strawberries and watermelon. A true crowd-pleaser, versatile and scrumptious.  My mouth is watering just typing this...

#2) 2009 Ch. Peyraud Premieres Côtes de Blaye, France ~$12

Blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon with no oak influence.  Huge ripe crunchy red fruit, cranberry, cassis, nice acidity, silky tannins, lush & ripe & lovely.  What a surprise!  Incredible values coming out of this relatively new “Côtes” region abutting Bordeaux.  Do yourself a favor and dig some up!

#1) 2008 Spice Route Pinotage, Swartland South Africa ~$20

Deep fruit on the nose of torched berries. Sexy! Smooth & rich, blackberry and spice flavors inundate, so velvety and caressing, with a bit of tar mid-finish.  Drinking this is an experience! Pinotage is a South African grape variety that often passionately divides Wineaux.  But this wine is gorgeously tailored and was hands-down my favorite wine I tasted this past year.  (And did I mention SEXY?!)

As always, any errors or opinions are all mine.  Comments and questions heartily welcomed.