For those who drink wine only on special occasions, Thanksgiving offers an ideal excuse to open a bottle or two of the wonderful stuff. Wine lovers who pop the cork for any reason at all—“All the lights were green!” or “It’s Monday!”—derive endless pleasure from matching new finds and old favorites to their Turkey-day recipes.
A low-pressure holiday that focuses on good food and lively celebration, Thanksgiving features a panoply of flavorful dishes that fairly sing when matched with just the right wine. Learning to create stellar pairings requires trial and error, as well as a few pointers from those in the know.
Chuck Carlson, winemaker for Curtis Winery and owner/winemaker at Carlson Winery, weighed in with a wealth of creative holiday pairings.
“I love Thanksgiving,” he said, “and tend to be pretty traditional. I really like Sauvignon Blanc with the early part of the meal, when we’re all getting together to visit and enjoy some light appetizers.
“I like to serve smoked salmon spread with dill,” he continued, “on pieces of toasted baguette brushed with olive oil. We also have enjoyed a variety of hummus on different crispy crackers.”
Carlson explained that his “go-to Sauvignon Blanc” is the Rock Hollow 2009, made from Curtis Winery’s estate vineyards and bottled by the winery under the Rock Hollow label. Other offerings under the brand include Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
“I also like to try other Sauvignon Blancs,” Carlson admitted, “mostly those done in the Southern Hemisphere style, which is light, crisp, and has nice gooseberry and lime flavors. The [New Zealand labels] Kim Crawford and Vavasour come to mind.”
Moving from appetizers to the main meal, Carlson usually opens a lightly chilled rosé.
“Rosé works with turkey no matter how the bird is prepared,” he said, “and also with most of the side dishes, [including] stuffing with a nice amount of herbs, and mashed yams with dried cranberries and brown sugar.
“The Curtis 2009 Heritage Rosé works well,” he continued, “because it is dry and steely, and shows a nice balance of strawberry, cranberry, and light spice with minerality in the finish. Others would be Guigal Rosé from France and the Tablas Creek Rosé.”
For Gary Burk, owner/winemaker at Costa de Oro Winery, a German Riesling makes a fine match for turkey, because it tends to be low in alcohol, yet high in acidity. These qualities invite diners to enjoy sip after sip as they work their way through the sumptuous meal.
“Pinot Noir is always a great pairing with turkey, too,” Burk said. “It goes with so many different foods—which there always are on the Thanksgiving table—because it’s lighter and
layered with many nuances.”
Carlson agrees, and insists Pinot Noir is the perfect companion “for those wanting something more” with their Thanksgiving turkey.
“The perfumed aromas of many of the Santa Barbara County Pinots work well,” Carlson explained. “Stylistically, I prefer one that doesn’t push the ripeness envelope too much.
“The Carlson [Winery] Pinot Noir 2007 Talley Vineyard is just at the edge of the ripeness envelope,” he continued. “It’s full, with rich flavors and texture, darker fruits, and has a nice structure.
“The other Carlson Pinots that I make would also work,” he added. “For instance, Le Bon Climat Vineyard and Las Hermanas Vineyard, as they are somewhat lighter in style. Others that would be great are the Storm 2007 Le Bon Climat Vineyard, as well as the Au Bon Climat, which is always a standard.”
This year, Chris Burroughs, longtime tasting room manager for Alma Rosa Winery, has something unusual planned for his holiday feast.
“We have a smaller group coming for Thanksgiving, so we don’t need the full-blown
traditional dinner,” Burroughs said. “We’re going to stick with turkey, but we’ll do pounded paillards of turkey breast in the style of Saltimbocca, with sage leaves, prosciutto, and Asiago cheese.
“On the side,” he continued, “we’ll have chestnut-and-porcini raviolis, and pan roasted, shredded Brussels sprouts. With the more typical Thanksgiving meal, everybody wants Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but with our menu, I’m going to crack out some (hopefully) whopping Barolos that I’ve been saving for a long time.”
Before dinner, Burroughs and his guests will sip Grüner Veltliner (a food-friendly wine made famous in Austria), and afterward, he’ll serve rustic apple-cherry tarts with a Poire William au Cognac, an Alsatian liqueur made with pears and Brillet Cognac.
From the Alma Rosa Winery lineup, the 2009 Pinot Noir Vin Gris makes a zesty partner for Thanksgiving sides and salads. The winery also offers a half-dozen different Pinot Noirs, all from coveted Santa Rita Hills vineyards and each one worthy of a place at the holiday table.
So go ahead and enjoy some wine; Thanksgiving festivities offer the perfect excuse.
K. Reka Badger’s table has the perfect scrumptious setup. Contact her at rekabadger@hotmail.com.
This article appears in Nov 18-25, 2010.