Thanksgiving Wines

Travis Doyle

November 7, 2022

I always like to keep some sparkling wine on hand. When your guests walk in the door, especially if they’ve been traveling long distances to you, there’s nothing they would like more than a cold glass of bubbles. We’ve selected two sparkling wines, one white and one rosé. That way, if you drink one of them while you’re cooking (we won’t judge), you’ll still have one left for your guests. First up, a classic dry Cava from one of the oldest wine producing families in the region. The Mestres 1312 Reserva Cava is from a family whose winegrowing legacy in Penedes dates back to yes, 1312. On top of that, they were the first winegrower to register the term Cava. With tradition like that, you know this wine will deliver. Secondly, we’ve selected a fun and bright crowdpleasing sparkling rosé from Lorraine. Domaine Migot Methode Traditionelle is made from 100% gamay and is full of the vibrant red fruits (think currant and raspberry) that make people fall in love with the style. Drink one while you’re roasting the turkey and pour the other for your arriving guests. You can’t go wrong either way.

Once the table is set and your guests are ready for dinner, it’s important to offer both white and red wine for the different palates at the table. For whites, you will need something dry and crisp to pair with the variety of dishes on the table. We have two great choices: Barbara Öhlzelt Kamptal Gruner Veltliner Zöbinger 2021 and Paul Thomas Sancerre Chavignol 2021. The Grüner Veltliner, hailing from Austria, features bracing acidity, white pepper, and loads of citrus. Paired with a classic green bean casserole, this wine will be a surefire hit. The Sancerre, the classic French expression of Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley, is bursting with lemon, minerality, and herbaceousness with a bright crisp finish. If you’re serving a sage stuffing (especially with oysters) or a side salad with vinaigrette, this wine is a natural pairing.

Now, for the red drinkers at the table, be careful to avoid big, heavy, tannic wines if you’re serving turkey. These wines will easily overwhelm the delicacy of the poultry and accompanying sides. The wines you need should be fun, exuberant, and full of energy, just like a good Thanksgiving dinner. The wines we’ve selected are Marcel Lapierre Morgon 2021 hailing from the most famous Cru of Beaujolais and Sandhi Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2020 from Santa Barbara County. The Marcel Lapierre Morgon is the quintessential Thanksgiving dinner wine. It’s energetic with notes of bright cherry, violet, and licorice; this wine is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser. Everything on the table, from turkey to cranberry sauce, will pair with this Beaujolais. The Sandhi pinot noir, grown in central California, is overflowing with black cherry and raspberry, rose petals, and black tea leaves. Full of elegance, this pinot noir is a great way to finish dinner and wouldn’t be out of place in front of some after-dinner football either.

Come try all six of these ultimate Thanksgiving wines at our Tuesday Tasting with Travis events on November 8 and 22 in the backroom of Hyde Park Fine Wines. Stop in between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. – entirely complimentary.

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