Thanksgiving is the largest food holiday in the United States and is rich in tradition. While everybody knows that turkey, stuffing, potatoes and cranberries are the foods of choice for this day of overindulgence, it is not necessarily always as clear what one should drink with this feast. Unlike the main food offerings which are fairly consistent across the country, the selection of drink varies greatly from year to year and from family to family. This post will focus on wine and offer some advice on how to select your Thanksgiving wine whether you are the host or in charge of bringing a few bottles.
It’s your day off and it’s a holiday. Instead of worrying about what pairs with what and how your choice might be perceived, go with what you like the most. Why make it a complicated decision if you know what you like?
With the exception of the Fourth of July, there is no holiday that is more American than Thanksgiving. The first Thanksgiving was celebrated by Native Americans and settlers who chose to live in America instead of Europe. Celebrating with a European wine is just plain wrong – even if Burgundy goes well with Turkey.
This isn’t a hip-hop preference. This is just a respect for history. The pilgrims that celebrated the first Thanksgiving lived on the East Coast. Although they did not drink wine for religious reasons – if they would have, it probably would have been from a grape variety that is native to the wilderness of their new home. The vast majority of American wines today are based on the vitis vinifera varieties that came over from Europe, but few Americans have tried the wines that are based on the native vitis labrusca and vitis riparia. Both New York and Virginia have excellent versions of these “native” grape based wines that are frequently available nationwide. Although the taste may be different than the Euro grapes that most of us are used too – it is nice to drink the stuff that the real pilgrims would have drank if they were not so puritanical.
Reisling is a stellar white wine selection for Thanksgiving for several reasons. First off, Germans have long proven that Riesling goes well with meals that are rich in meat and potatoes. Secondly, Riesling is a great grape for family holiday meals. Its low alcohol keeps you from saying what you really want to say to your in-laws (or in front of your grandmother) and it is the ideal wine for kids who are allowed to drink small portions on special occasions. It is without a doubt, the most approachable wine for a young palate. Even if they are not allowed to share, it most closely resembles the coloring of their sparkling cider and will make them feel like they are drinking like the grown-ups. Finally, the apple flavors of a good Riesling perfectly compliment most of the fall flavors that are very prominent in a Thanksgiving feast. Washington State and Michigan are both great if you want to go with the American Riesling motif.
Of all of the red grape varieties out there, the one that accompanies turkey the best in my mind is Pinot Noir. There is a reason that a lot of dishes from the Burgundy region of France have poultry in them – it’s because wines made from Pinot Noir (or Gamay) are absolutely classic when paired with poultry. For Thanksgiving, aim for a Pinot Noir from Oregon. They are hands-down the best in the U.S.
If you are saving wines for a later date in your cellar, you need to ask yourself why Thanksgiving cannot be the special occasion that you are saving them for. As the biggest food holiday in the country, it fully deserves that bottle that you have cellared so carefully. Unless you are saving it for a wedding, few days can trump Thanksgiving in importance. Treat yourself. You can’t take your wines with you when you go . . . . .
If you like Cabernet and (s)he likes Merlot, the fundamental question needs to be about who is cooking all day long in the kitchen. Preparing a Thanksgiving feast is a true labor of love and the person who should get to drink their favorite wine should always be the one doing the cooking. If she is in the kitchen, get what she wants (and vice-versa). Naturally, it’s not a bad idea to cover both bases, but for the budget conscious family – make sure to thank the cook first and foremost.
