Wine and the Bird
So Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and we’re spending the day on my aunt’s farm, north of Durham. There will be goats and draft horses, and since we’re a family can’t decide on anything, probably ham in addition to turkey. I’m planning on bringing some kind of side, my favorite boozy cranberry relish laced with Cointreau, and some bottles of wine.
Thanksgiving is sort of an intimidating meal. There’s a lot of things going on - cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, the big bird - and then there’s the pressure of choosing something festive on top of it all. I used to advocate for American-only wines, too, in sort of a patriotic fit, but I’ve dropped that rule in recent years.
One reason? Beaujolais is one of the most turkey-friendly wines you’ll find. It’s also from France. I’m not talking lightweight beaujolois nouveau, here, by the way.
A lot of beaujolais from large winemakers (Georges Duboeuf, among them) has this distinctive fruity-banana flavor - it makes beaujolais “drinkable,” but if you’re looking for something more interesting in your glass, it’s worth seeking out some of the smaller producers at your local wine shop (look at the importers, too, usually on the back label: I like Louis Dressner) “Cru beaujolais” is from wine from the highest catagory of beaujolais classification and is much more age-worthy. The wine is darker and more substantial, too, but you’ll pay more.
Another choice to consider: rose (dry, not sweet white Zinfandel) is not normally a popular choice when the weather gets cold but it also goes well with turkey. It’s not too heavy, and perhaps a good compromise and something new to try for someone who prefers white wine. You may also be able to get a good deal on rose this time of year because they’re typically drunk young and wine importers get antsy with a bunch of rose in their warehouses once it gets chilly, so see if any wine shops are passing cheaper prices on to you.
And then there’s Champagne. My family likes to a glass before the meal, and if yours does, too, you might look for some more affordable and fun choices from Spain (cava) and Italy (prosecco). I’ve even had sparkling red, a shiraz, from Australia.
Of course, not everyone even eats turkey on Thanksgiving. I know of one family that makes a special meal revolving around a country each year - this year they’re making cassoulet, the hearty, rib-sticking dish of beans and duck confit southern France. Can I come?
In any case, choosing wine for a fun family meal is not really a bad problem to have…it’s just one I like to obsess about, being geeky that way.
