Up Close and Personal with AUSTRALIA'S FIRST FAMILIES OF WINE

At first, the concept made me cringe. "Speed dating" with Australian wine producers? Ugh. Yes, it reminded me of a few actual cringe-worthy speed dating events in my past—but at trade tastings, I like the freedom to bounce around, to spend as much or as little time at a table as I'd like, and to leave before a winemaker launches into a dry spiel of how many months in what percentage of what age of what kind of oak.

But it ended up being a ball (save for the Pavlovian stress to hurry up and move tables when the bell rang,) and it was a great way to get an incredible overview of Australia's quality wine.

Australia's First Families of Wine is comprised of twelve winemaking families that have been crafting wine all over Australia for generations. They believe that their legacy and high standards of winemaking should earn them the same respect and renown as the other standout wine regions of the world like Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Napa. But with one exception (Penfolds Grange Hermitage,) Australia is mostly associated with punch-you-in-the-jaw alcoholic Shirazes and oaky-butter-bomb Chardonnays, or cheap-and-cheerful "critter" wines (named for the animals that dot their labels,) not elegant and pedigreed world-class stunners.

And that is just plain WRONG.

Eleven of the twelve families were on hand recently in New York City to share some wines from their personal cellars—some current releases, many not—and I had the very atypical experience of loving almost every single wine poured. (Normally my notes are dotted with the occasional star, but I had to stop drawing my stars after I had done six in a row.)

So join me for a moment, won't you, as I share with you my "speed dating" journey, (without the $!#*@% ringing bell.)

WAKEFIELD — Clare Valley, South Australia (with its heralded Terra Rossa soil.)

Self-described as "proudly New World winemakers but obsessed with Old World finesse."

2012 Wakefield St. Andrews Shiraz: Single vineyard. Spicy, smoky nose, with muddled cherry. Very silky and smooth.  ~$65
2009 Wakefield The Visionary Cabernet Sauvignon: Great black currant, blackberry nose. Rich and tasty, some tartness at finish. Bright vibrant cherry fruit on palate with balancing acidity and soft tannins. ~$200

BROWN BROTHERS — NE Victoria, slopes of Australian Alps.

Ross Brown says the goal of the family is to make "fine and elegant" wines. 

2010 Brown Brothers Patricia Chardonnay, Yarra Valley: Yellow apple and kiwi on the rich nose. Leaner in the mouth, minerally and citrus notes. Definitely trying to move away from the oaky/buttery style, Ross said, "we don't want oak to be a flavor. We want it to be a complexor." ~$40
2000 Brown Brothers Patricia Sauvignon, King Valley: Amazing nose, cassis, sweet cigar box, buttered toast, damp earth. Smooth, fine and elegant (see above, check!) Woody feel, herbs, and bright cherry to balance it out. ~$60

TYRRELL'S — Hunter Valley, New South Wales.

Another of Australia's prominent wine families, Tyrrell's has racked up numerous awards over the years. 

2010 Tyrrell's Wines Vat 1 Semillon: Varietal nose of wax, lanolin, and sour cream. Lovely white peach in the mouth. Clean and crisp. Winemaker Bruce Tyrrell said, "What you see there is what came out of the vineyard." ~$50

2011 Tyrrell's Wines Vat 9 Shiraz: Light red fruits and aromatic violet and rose florals. Medium-bodied, with zingy acidity, and bright, almost underripe fruit. ~$50

CAMPBELLS — Rutherglen, Victoria.

Colin Campbell is the current patriarch of this family winery dating back 145 years.

2006 Campbell's The Barkly Durif, Rutherglen: sumptuous violets and dark cherry perfume. Rich and smooth with blue and black fruits on the palate and integrated tannins. ~$55
NV Campbells Rutherglen Muscat: Dark copper color, very dense. Sweet cigar leaf, tangerine peel. Forest floor balances out the sweetness. ~$20/375ml bt.
NV Campbells Merchant Prince Rare Muscat: almost opaque molasses color. Incredibly viscous. Just stunning! Herbs, burnt caramel, bit of balsamic, great acidity. WOW. ~$85/375 ml bt.

YALUMBA — Eden Valley/Barossa Valley, South Australia.

 Founded in 1849, Yalumba is Australia's oldest family-owned wine company.

2012 Yalumba The Virgilius Eden Valley Viognier: Meyer lemon, green leaves, panna cotta, ginger, stone fruit, very spicy. Attractive. ~$32
2012 Yalumba The Signature: About 50/50 Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Very purpley, with loads of complex fruit. Warm and spicy, good acidity, soft, silky tannins. Rich and flavorful but finish lifts it. Doesn't smack you. Still a baby! Try again in 10, 20 (30?) years. ~$50

HENSCHKE — Eden Valley, South Australia.

Fifth-generation winemaker Stephen Henschke brought along some gems, the Cab named after his father, and a ten-year-old bottling of the iconic Hill of Grace.

2010 Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon: spicy, smoky nose, with plum, black pepper, violets, herbs, and cassis. Bright fruit, smooth mid-palate, components very well balanced, with a delicious and spicy finish. 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot. ~$150

2005 Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz: Aromas of baked red fruits, very smoky, sage and black pepper notes. ("Very Eden Valley aromas," agreed Stephen.) Somewhat savory note, like a tomato/oregano sauce. Just amazing—elegant, with fine tannins. Everything blends together in a warm bath of deliciousness. YUM. (Not your "big, ripe, jammy" Shiraz.) More, please. ~$600

DE BORTOLI — Victoria and New South Wales.

The De Bortoli family immigrated to Australia from Northern Italy in 1928, and their wines combine Italian family values and Aussie terroir. 

2014 De Bortoli Yarra Valley Estate Grown Pinot Noir: Verrrry berrrry nose. Full-bodied style, with very tasty complex fruit and soft tannins. Clean and delicious. Minerally finish with integrated acidity. Whole bunch fermentation. ~$25

2011 De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon: The Noble One wines were created in 1982, inspired by the 1975 Ch. Coutet Sauternes. Botrytis and caramel on the nose, nice acidity to balance, so a clean finish (not cloyingly sweet.) Kumquat, other citrus, bit of caramel. Lovely. ~$27/375 ml bt.

JIM BARRY WINES — Clare Valley, South Australia.

The late Jim Barry was an iconic figure in Australian winemaking. His son Pete Barry was on hand to share some of Clare Valley's star Rieslings.

2014 Jim Barry "The Lodge Hill" Dry Riesling: wild white flowers and lime zest on the nose, in the mouth, those flavors are balanced by minerality and a spicy finish. Very dry and clean. ~$17

1999 Jim Barry "The Lodge Hill" Dry Riesling: I can say I've never had a 16-year-old Clare Valley Riesling before... but now I want more! Medium-gold color, toasty, honey nose. Lanolin, petrol, with marmalade on finish. Still good acidic backbone. Wowzers. ~$30

D'ARENBERG — McLaren Vale, South Australia.

D'arenberg was founded by the Osborn family, and wins the Cheeky Award hands down. Winemaker Chester Osborn (who has a matching eclectic fashion sense) even brought props to help illustrate the way his wines get so creatively named. 

2012 d'Arenberg The Money Spider Roussanne: Named for the tiny "money spiders" that mysteriously covered the first crop of the 2000 vintage (believed to bring good luck via money.) Green and herby nose, delish fruit mid-palate, lemon curd, straw, key lime pie. Slurp. ~$25

2006 d'Arenberg The Ironstone Pressings: 70% Grenache, 25% Shiraz, 5% Mourvedre. "Only foot-trod once... yeah, we pretty much left it alone," says Chester. Incredible licorice on the nose, with smoke and cigar ash. Kind of a dry-aged-beef-char thing. Juicy but not overripe. Long (oddly lip-numbing?!) finish. ~$65

MCWILLIAM'S — Tumbarumba/Hilltops, New South Wales.

This six-generation company makes a variety of well-regarded, diverse wines. Scott McWilliam brought a pair of wines at a great price point.

2013 McWilliam's Appellation Tumbarumba Chardonnay: Nose of lemon and fresh herbs, with a light toastiness on the very long finish. Minerally and finessed. ~$25

2012 McWilliam's Appellation Cabernet Sauvignon: Rose petals! on the nose. Very herby and green, with berries—somewhat zingy and fussy at the moment, but like a kid in the "Terrible Twos," I think it'll evolve nicely. ~$25

TAHBILK — Nagambie Lakes, Victoria.

The oldest family-owned winery in Victoria, Tahblik also boasts a unique microclimate. Alistair Purbrick brought us a pair of mind-blowing Marsannes (one of which made me break out my stars again.)

2008 Tahbilk Museum Release Marsanne: A totally "YUM" nose of butter, marzipan, toast, cream puff, and honeysuckle. Wow. This drinks like a warm summer's day feels. Excellent weight, good length. Wow. Stars all over the page. ~$22

2006 Tahbilk 1927 Vines Marsanne: Intense perfumey nose, white and yellow flowers, warm and rich, viscous, sour lemon. Yet seems a wee bit schitzo as it's beautifully fresh and clean on the palate. Even though this was two years older than the prior wine, it tasted younger (due to totally different winemaking styles.) ~$35

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Wineaux, I tell you that even writing this post made me revisit my bliss and across-the-board delight at what these families had to offer. (So much so that I just ordered half a case of the '08 Tahbilk Museum Marsanne so I could prolong my joy even further!) And while the delectable Hill of Grace is up there, most of these astonishing wines are relatively affordable. It certainly is worth it to give Australia's fine wines the chance to measure up with the rest of the world's. 

Cheers!

N.B. Not all of the above wines are readily available in the U.S., but I doubt it will take long to see more of them on our shores.

Wonderful Wines Of Washington! (WWOW!)

With the rise in popularity of quality wine from less-than-usual locales, we're forgetting about one right here in the U.S.: Washington State. WA is actually the second largest producer of American wine (behind California) but it's hardly forefront in the mind of consumers looking for wonderful wines.

Time to change that, and how! First of all, let's do some edifying: A) don't equate rainy Seattle with your concept of WA wine—most of the state's wine regions lie to the east of the Cascade Mountains, which act as a rain shadow, in the dry Columbia Valley AVA. B) the area's latitude is the same as between Bordeaux and Burgundy (fairly well-regarded regions, eh?), there is an unusually long length of day, which equals over a hundred more hours of glorious daylight during the growing season—and WA's wide daily temperature fluctuations are great for ripening. C) there is NO phylloxera in the state, so the vines are grown on their own rootstock. D) for you soil nerds: there is volcanic bedrock layered under glacial deposits and soil from multiple ice age floods, with a windblown loess dusting on top—a trifecta of loveliness. E) there are over FORTY varietals planted, with subregions showcasing an incredible array of grapes; Riesling and Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah… rarely at home in the same region.

There's so much more, but let's get to the juice!

I recently spent a day walla-walla-wallowing in the bounty of WA state wines at a trade event sponsored by the Washington State Wine Commission, and found some truly wonderful wines during two seminars and a walk-around tasting.

I was first knocked out by the 2013 àMaurice Cellars Sparrow Viognier, Walla Walla Valley AVA. Nose of straw, lemon, white florals, very viscous, and tangy lemon zest with lots of minerality on the palate. Florals emerge on the super long finish. Winemaker Anna Schafer spoke of her passion in cultivating this gem: "I absolutely love making white wine—you're not making white wine for the scores!" ~$35.

At the walk-around, I beelined to her table to taste more of her offerings: the 2011 àMaurice Cellars Night Owl Estate Red Blend was light but complex, with a super elegant, smoky nose, a bit of earth and charming, well-balanced fruit. ~$48. 2011 àMaurice Cellars Fred Estate Syrah had lots of perfume, spice, and herbs, with lavender sachet in the mouth. Not a hot-n-ripe overblown Syrah, rather an elegant, integrated example. ~$42. And the 2011 àMaurice Cellars Anderson Red Blend showed a great perfumey nose! Sweet plums, rose petals… wowzers! Love this. Elegant, and very flavorful. ~$40.

Another standout was the 2012 Januik Klipsun Vineyard Merlot, Red Mountain AVA. Complex, forward nose of blueberry, blackberry, lavender pastilles, and mocha, in the mouth it had compact, elegant fruit, with good balancing acidity and soft tannins, with a long finish of blackberry pie. ~$30

Almost presented as an answer to the question, "But how will WA wines age?", the 1994 Woodward Canyon Winery Merlot, Columbia Valley AVA had an amazing "whoa!" nose of intense spice box, sweet cedar, and tobacco leaf. It was still very present in the mouth, with flavors of dried herbs and mesquite, with good acidity. Just lovely. (The fruit was actually sourced from the Wahluke Slope AVA, but at the time, it hadn't been granted an AVA designation yet.) Not too shabby for a 20-year-old Merlot from lil' ol' Washington! ~$NA.

Chateau Ste. Michelle winemaker Bob Bertheau is an important figure in the growth of the WA wine industry, always looking to innovate and perfect, and his 2010 Ch. Ste. Michelle Artist Series Meritage, Columbia Valley AVA has the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon he's ever put in a Bordeaux-style blend. He said, "The elegance of the Cab this year just sang to me, and I couldn't hold it down." It had blackberry liqueur and floral perfume, with dense and dark purple notes. Suuuuuuper smooth, with pepper and graphite on the finish. A big wine, but it doesn't punch you in the face. Wow. (Bob also said that "Washington tannins are like a thoroughbred—you have to teach it, train it… that's a good problem to have, to have a wild horse." I loved that.) ~$60.

His 2013 Ch. Ste. Michelle Eroica Riesling carries on a solid tradition of dependable Eroicas, with a great nose of florals—massive honeysuckle!—and spice, mandarin orange, and mouthwatering acidity. ~$20. And I also loved the 2011 Ch. Ste. Michelle Cold Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, with its dead-on-Cabernet nose of cassis, cedar, and a little green-ness. It was incredibly smooth and integrated, and had a long finish of cassis and earth. ~$30.

Next stop was the Charles Smith/K Vintners table—I've been a fan of their wines for a long time. (I've gleefully written about the Boom Boom Syrah and the Kung Fu Girl Riesling in the past.) And sure enough, out of the gate, I was incredibly impressed with the 2013 ViNO Pinot Gris. Attractive floral nose, spicy, good acidity, florals carry through—wow! Impressive. And only ~$12! I also went coo-coo for the 2012 Sixto Uncovered Chardonnay, with its smooth presentation, cheeky note of taffy, and loads of minerality. No new oak, 100% native fermentation, sourced from three different high-elevation vineyards—a rival to famed CA chards, at half the price. ~$30. Another incredible value is found in the 2013 Wines of Substance Cabernet Sauvignon, which was "kind of left alone," according to co-winemaker Brennon Leighton. Robust red fruit, good balance and length, complex. ~$15.

I'm also familiar with Andrew Will's wines, and really enjoyed the two vintages I tasted from his Champoux Vineyard (and the little kid in me cracked up every time someone seriously mentioned a "shampoo" vineyard.) The Cab Franc-based 2012 Andrew Will Champoux Vineyard Blend, Horse Heaven Hills AVA was big and extracted, with dense black fruits and florals, ~$65, and the 2011 Andrew Will Champoux Vineyard Blend, Horse Heaven Hills AVA lathered up the palate (see what I did there?) with spiced blackberry jam. ~$74.

If a group of flamingoes is a flamboyance, what do you call a group of Master Sommeliers? (That may be a good question for the twitter.) Three MSs—Shayn Bjornholm MS, Chris Tanghe MS, and one of my former instructors John Ragan MS—led a blind seminar to illuminate WA location, grapes, and blends. (Yes, my palms sweat the minute I realized we'd be tasting blind, but I nailed the three varietals and a couple of sub-regions, so I guess the Minx has some mad skillz after all.)

The quality of the wines in this group was high across the board, but if pressed to name some favorites, I'd include the 2011 DeLille Cellars Harrison Hill Blend Snipes Mountain AVA; cassis, herb liqueur, and sage notes, integrated fruit, elegant and delish! ~$95. Also the 2012 Avennia Justine Columbia Valley AVA, with its red and black berry salad, strong cherry, and florals, was super dense and tasty, and quite grippy. A blend of Mourvedre, Grenache, and Syrah. ~$40. And I loved the 2012 Gramercy Cellars Third Man Columbia Valley AVA, with silky red fruits, it was a bit meaty (genoa salami) and peppery, with alpine notes. Big, but beautifully balanced. Another S. Rhône blend, this time with the emphasis on Grenache. ~$45.

The 2012 Betz Family Winery Bésoleil Columbia Valley AVA was also incredible, with coffee grounds and herbs on the nose, and a luxe, elegant palate of blueberry, a hint of chalk—so tasty. ~$45. I went to their table for more, falling for the 2011 Clos de Betz Red Bordeaux Blend, with an amazing, packed nose of cassis and cedar, and a flinty minerality. ~$55. Also the 2011 Betz Family Winery Père de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon: "ooooh, rich & smooooooth!" say my notes. Violets, delicious fruit, elegant, quaffable yet good with food. 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, and 3% Merlot. ~$68.

"Dense" is the word of the day for the 2011 Col Solare Blend Red Mountain AVA, which also drew me in, with its notes of cassis liqueur, brick dust, velvety red fruit, liquid herbs, it was very dense and very ripe. And very sexy. ~$75.

Still with me?! I know this is a lot, but seriously—each table I visited kept surprising me with such gems, it was truly a bounty. If I didn't have an appointment to get to, this post would have been three times as long, I'm sure. My last stop on the way out was at the Seven Hills table. I'd correctly blind tasted the varietal of the 2012 Seven Hills Vineyard Merlot Walla Walla Valley AVA during the seminar, and still loved its ripe blue and black fruits on the nose, elements of smoke and mocha, and tasty, intense blueberry pie. ~$38. Next was the only rosé I sampled that day, the 2014 Seven Hills Dry Rosé Cabernet Franc—loved the nose, strawberry-lime rickey, clean and crisp watermelon Jolly Rancher, good acidity, super dry finish. ~$18.

 Their hits just kept on coming: the 2012 Seven Hills Ciel du Cheval Blend Red Mountain AVA: "melting" red fruit, big but super integrated, lovely. My friend Mr. Some Damn Good Wine kept crowing over the note of "Maraschino! Maraschino!!" ~$45. The 2012 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Petit Verdot Walla Walla Valley AVA: just loved the nose. Intriguing. Plummy purpleness across the board. Wow! I drew a heart. ~$35. And the 2012 Seven Hills Klipsun Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain AVA: spot-on Bordeaux nose—cedar, cassis, eucalyptus. Scrumptious, with high tannins, but very integrated. ~$45.

Wineaux, if you haven't figured it out by now, wines from Washington State are indeed wonderful. This tasting confirmed that they have the ability to rival wines from other great regions around the world, and many are values at every price point. Do yourselves a favor, and start familiarizing yourselves with the wonderful wines from WA.

(Side note: as of this writing, I am very close to finalizing a date to sing this summer for the Seattle Mariners as part of my quest to sing the National Anthem for every Major League Baseball team. Rest assured that I will do my very best to tack on a visit to the Columbia Valley to get up close and personal with more of these gems! I love it so when my worlds collide.

UPDATE: The Seattle date is set, barring any theatrical conflicts: July 28. Very excited, not only to sing, but to stomp around Washington State vineyards for a few days. Keep an eye out for my report.)

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!