The Brat in the Cellar

Winter is a great time of year. Barring the week of Christmas, I hate snow but I still love winter because the food tastes better when it's cold outside and best of all, red wine is at its peak…at least to me.

The first major celebration of winter is Thanksgiving. When Turkey Day finally arrives, winter becomes reality. Dreams of Indian Summer are dashed, and depending where you live, you may already have a foot (or more) of snow at your doorstep. Thanksgiving is a special time of year on many levels - it is a time for family and friends to reunite, to share traditions and probably most important of all…to give thanks to those that came before us to make the lives that we live today possible.

Taking center stage in the celebration is food, and lots of it. Tradition dictates turkey and the usual trimmings (mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, vegetables, etc.), but that doesn't stop others from preparing a Thanksgiving duck, goose, pot roast or even lasagna. When this much food combines with long lost relatives and friends, a natural partner in the celebration is a few bottles of wine to wash down the meal and keep the conversation lively.

Thanksgiving often poses a problem for wine and food pairings because there are so many flavors on the table competing for your taste buds, not to mention the number of people and differing palates you have to please. Some like red, some like white, some like oak, some like sweet, etc., etc.

Since no single wine will solve the Turkey Day Dilemma, the answer is simple - serve multiple wines! The table will be full of different flavors, textures and tastes so try to account for that when choosing wines to match your meal - pick a selection of whites and reds to match your food and to please your guests.

Avoid the big, tannic, powerful red wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Petite Syrah, Zinfandel, Barolo, Chateneuf-du-Pape to name a few ). Of course there are exceptions to the rule, such as fruity Australian Shiraz or young, simple (a.k.a. cheap) California Cabernet, but a big, serious red can wipe out the delicate turkey you've smelled all day long. Also avoid big-ticket wines - fancy Bordeaux, pricey Burgundy, high end California Merlot, etc. Focus on wallet friendly (you may need more than one bottle!) wines that are fruity, fun and easy to drink for everyone. Remember, this is one day where the food should be the star of the table.

Ideal red wines, in my opinion, for Thanksgiving include Pinot Noir, French Beaujolais, Italian Chianti and Spanish Rioja. They are smooth, light in tannin and full of fruit and acidity…perfect food wines! Simple Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon can also work, just be careful of the weight and tannin levels in the wines. Look for bottles in the $10 range…there is an ocean of wine waiting for you out there.

Three varieties come to mind on Turkey Day - Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and America's sweetheart - Chardonnay. All three are widely available, made all over the world in many styles and can be had for as little as $2 per bottle to as much as $200 for Le Montrachet (don't bother).

If you want a Riesling, choose carefully. Avoid the sweet stuff - look for the words "dry" or "semi-dry" on the label. Just a hint of sweetness will do wonders for your palate with all of the Thanksgiving flavors on the table. The best examples are made in cool (or downright cold) climates and feature plenty of acidity - Finger Lakes (NY), Germany (look for the word Kabinett on the label), Alsace (France) and Washington state for example. Forget the junk from California - most of it is sweet and reminiscent of the famous Blue Nun wines that have given German wines a bad rap. People in the know understand that Riesling is one of the best values in wine today and is amazingly food friendly.

Wine is made in all 50 states these days, go shopping for a local Riesling. What better way to celebrate an American Holiday with a wine made right near your backyard? If you're stumped, just pick up a bottle of Chateau St. Michelle Riesling from Washington - every store has it and it costs about $7 - perfect for Thanksgiving.

Sauvignon Blanc is not only my favorite white wine, but also an ideal companion for the table. Generally it has more body and a bigger "mouthfeel" than Riesling but it also has loads of juicy fruit and acidity. Think citrus, lemon, lime, peaches, grapefruits and even a touch of cream. Yum! It's delicate enough for white turkey yet bold enough for cranberry sauce and vinaigrettes. When choosing a Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand is usually my first choice but excellent values can also be found in California, Washington and Chile.

By far, Chardonnay is the most popular white wine in the world but that does not mean it has to be on the table for Thanksgiving! In fact, most of them have no business mixing with the turkey and stuffing because of the extreme doses of oak, alcohol and big, rich buttery flavors common to many of them. Chardonnay comes in many styles from all over the world - if you must have a Chardonnay look for a light, simple, fruit driven wine that won't overpower your Thanksgiving feast. The best thing to do is just ask your retailer for help…but if they are clueless here are a few suggestions - Chablis (France), Macon-Villages (France), New Zealand and Monterey, California. All of these are cool regions and generally use little if any oak in their Chardonnay's.

Good luck this Thanksgiving…may the mashed potatoes and gravy be with you!

2000 Talus Pinot Noir - California: Purple/plum color. Simple nose - cherries/berries, pleasantly fruity. Smooth, light and fruity on the palate with an earthy note on the finish. Easy to drink with a short finish, probably better with a variety of foods to help the wine open up. Perfect for Thanksgiving and at less than $10, get two or three bottles.

2001 Joseph Drouhin Saint-Veran - Macon (Burgundy District), France: Pale straw color. Nose has green apples, pears with notes of spice, toast and butter. Crisp, high acid wine with lemon, creamy fruit and only hints of oak on the palate. This is how Chardonnay was meant to taste. Acidity makes this wine sharp by itself, but it's an ideal food wine and an example of a low cost, high quality white Burgundy (made from Chardonnay) that is suitable for the table this Thanksgiving. Yummy!

That's it, finally! Thanks for the visit. As always, please feel free to write me at cellarbrat1@yahoo.com with your comments, questions and suggestions. Everyone gets a reply! All feedback is welcomed and appreciated.

See ya next time from the cellar, and remember wine is more fun than you think...

Gunerman writes "The Brat In The Cellar" once per month for Robin Garr's Wine Lover's Page, found at http://www.wineloverspage.com.

Also available is "The Brat Report," a weekly subscription based wine newsletter designed to educate and entertain. "The Brat Report" is available for $12/year. To subscribe, send a check/money order along with a valid E-mail address to: The Brat In The Cellar, PO Box 462, Pittsford, NY 14534. Have questions? Want to see a free sample? Send an e-mail to thebratreport@hotmail.com. Everyone gets a reply!

Volume Two
Number 10
Nov. 20, 2002

All contents © copyright 1981-2009 by Robin Garr, www.WineLoversPage.com

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