Published: November 14, 2007 09:08 am      

Turkey is neutral when pairing it with a wine

A wine salesman once told us he makes his best pitch for sparkling wine to a man who is looking for a Thanksgiving Day wine.

“After he picks his wine, I always ask him if he has bought anything for the chef. Isn’t she the one who has slaved in the kitchen all day and needs something to make her feel special? It never fails.”

We’re glad it doesn’t. The chef toils thanklessly in the kitchen and we bet a glass of sparkling wine before the company arrives — or after they leave — would be warmly received.

It is about the only new suggestion we can offer at this time of the year because advice for pairing wine with the classic turkey dinner never changes. That’s because turkey is so neutral that just about any wine works — pick one, any one.

Well, almost. Although many of our bretheren will disagree, we don’t like the tannins of cabernet sauvignon or an over-oak chardonnay because they can be overwhelming. If that is what floats your gravy, though, by all means serve it.

Thanksgiving is such an American holiday that we prefer to serve this country’s wines to the hungry pilgrims at our table. It is such a simple stroke of patriotism and heaven knows there is plenty to choose from.

Your first thought should be to determine what role your wines will fill. A sparkling wine is always a refreshing drink to welcome guests into your home and marks the occasion with elegance and celebration.

For the meal, we recommend that you have both red and white wine on the table to accommodate the whims of your guests. A good bridge wine is a fruity rosé which does well with a traditional turkey dinner and adds color to the table. A rosé is also a good wine to serve with ham, if that’s your choice for an entreé.

As for the whites, we continue to prefer riesling and gewurztraminer — two totally different wines but both complementing food very well. Riesling brings elegance to the table; gewurztraminer’s apricot and exotic spices harmonizes with dressing, sweet potatoes and gravy. Look to the Finger Lakes region of New York or Washington state for some great rieslings.

Sauvignon blanc can be a bit acidic and its tart, grassy flavors can be off-putting to some people, so we tend to avoid it.

As for the reds, think simple. Pinot noir, particularly from Oregon, is our favorite. These wines can be fairly expensive, but the grape variety is in such hot demand that prices for pinot noir are high everywhere.

A good substitute in the more affordable category is merlot, zinfandel and even syrah. These wines pack a lot of fruit and are well-priced for a crowd. You can certainly pay more than $25 for any of them, but at that price level the wine tends to be more complex than you want for turkey. This is one time that spending a lot of money for a wine could be wasted.

Depending on your guests, we recommend that you assume each person will drink half of a bottle before the meal is over. As a guest, you should consider their need to drive home and plan some alcohol-free time at the end of the meal — and a spare bed to keep inebriated guests off the road.

When your guests finally leave, leave the dishes and have a private toast to the chef.

Here are some suggestions we have chosen because of their value.

• Rosé: Toad Hollow, Rosenblum, McDowell.

• Riesling: Chateau Ste. Michelle, Hermann Weimer, Dr. Konstatin Frank, Covey Run, Pacific Rim.

• Gewurztraminer: Chateau St. Jean, Navarro, Husch, Clos du Bois.

• Pinot noir: Firesteed, Erath, Ponzi, Argyle, Echelon, Fess Parker.

• Merlot: Columbia Crest, Frei Brothers, Chateau Ste. Michelle.

• Zinfandel: Alexander Vineyards, Cline, Bonny Doon, Ravenswood.

• Syrah: R.H. Phillips, Fess Parker, Zaca Mesa, Geyser Peak.



WINE OF THE WEEK

• Don Miguel Gascon Malbec 2006 ($12). From the Mendoza region of Argentina, this malbec has varietal flavors of blueberries and blackberries. Elegant but full bodied for this price. Hint of chocolate.