Cooking From Every Angle

Thanksgiving Wine Recommendations

November 24, 2009

Last week a few of you asked what sort of liquid libation we'd recommend to go with the Thanksgiving turkey. As luck would have it, Chambers Street, our wine partner, has put together a list just for us. Below you'll find a selection of wines (featuring an assortment of colors and price points) singled out by Chambers Street as ideal pairings for Thanksgiving fare. The best part? If you click through and use the promotional code "food52" you can order all of these wines -- and more -- from Chambers Street for a 10% discount!

Lopez de Heredia 1999 Rioja Blanco Gravonia

White $24.99

This may be too obvious a choice for Thanksgiving, but this wine wows me with its friendliness. 1999 Gravonia has an incomparable freshness and vibrancy for a wine this old, showing exotic yet understated notes of passion fruit, peach pith, golden delicious apple, coconut and cashew; this is a festival of aromatics and texture and a deal at its current price. 

Belliviere 2007 Jasnieres Les Rosiers

White  $28.99

A perfectly balanced and superbly elegant Chenin Blanc, this lovely wine from Eric and Christine Nicolas would be a great choice for Thanksgiving. The creamy lemon, herbal and apple fruit is balanced by good acidity and a very long finish. Outstanding organic vineyard work gives this wine the character to complement your holiday meal in a subtle and delicious way.

Nusserhof (Heinrich Mayr) 2008 Sudtirol Lagrein Kreutzer (Rosato)

Pink  $23.99

An exciting and unusual natural wine made from Lagrein, a red grape native to the Alto Adige. Complex herbal and spicey aromas join citrus and cherry fruits all the way to a long finish. A light and dry wine that offers much more detail than most roses.

Vissoux (Pierre-Yves Chermette 2008 Beaujolais Cuvee Traditionelle Vieilles Vignes)

Red  $16.99

It's no secret that we are big fans of Jean-Paul Brun, but it's important to remember that there are other growers making fantastic traditional wines in Beaujolais; Pierre-Marie Chermette is a first class example. Instead of chaptilizing like many of their peers, the Chermettes keep minimal yields, which promote ripe fruit flavors. This old-vine village cuvee has great dark berry tones expressed clearly over the light 11.5 % alcohol frame. The finish has a salty minerality that expresses the unique terroir of Beaujolais.

Occhipinti 2008 IGT Sicilia SP 68

Red  $21.99

Occhipinti makes insanely pure and focused wines. This blend is light-medium-bodied, with lovely crisp black cherry fruit, stony earth, a little bit of garrigue-type herbs, great concentration without fat, and a haunting long finish. 
A great choice for Thanksgiving, this lovely wine will complement the meal and please your crowd. Serve cool!

Ca de Noci 2007 Rosso Frizante Sottobosco

Red Sparkling  $21.99

Grasparosso, Malbo Gentile, Montericco and Sgavetta. Woodsy, brambly dark fruits and accelerating tannins with a hint of anise. Finishes absolutely dry and fresh. The fruit flavor profile of this wine is almost a side dish in itself on the Thanksgiving table...move over cranberry sauce.