Thanksgiving Wine Picks, If we Must

 

It's that time of year where we frantically try to pair something with the bird.  And with all of that, inevitably some critic or wine snob has the be all to end all of wine pairings that will revolutionize the Turkey Day festivities.  Stop right there!  Mistake number one.  Unless turkey is all you eat on Thanksgiving, you have an entire array of other dishes to consider that go along with that.  Why just pigeon hole your wine selection to matching just the turkey? 

It's not rocket science, it's just wine.  My rule is drink what you enjoy instead of putting so much pressure on yourself to impress everyone else.  But, if we must have suggestions and recommendations then let's give it a whirl.  Again, whatever you enjoy then that's what you should pour, but for sake of argument these are my picks and my opinions.  I'm steering away from Pinot Noir just because that's the safety net everyone uses when they don't know or don't want to experiment.

Wine #1...Anna de Codorniu Rose Cava from Spain.

What? Sparkling wine from Spain is known as Cava which is made in similar fashion to French Champagne, but 50% of Champagne's price tag. This particular Cava is a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay (same grapes used to make Champagne, shhh!)

Why?...BUBBLES!  Bubbles make flavors in food POP!  Not to mention this particular Rose Cava has a tiny fruit component that will compliment a dry turkey, cross over into the stuffing, match up the canned cranberry sauce and then tackle a cheese cake.  ONLY $10

 WINE #2...Ravines Dry Riesling

What?  The Finger Lakes region of upstate New York is making killer Alsace/German style whites and fantastic French inspired Cabernet Franc.

Why?  Finger Lakes Riesling is a terrific balance of fruit (not sweet) and dry as opposed to that fruit cocktail syrupy juice found in California Rieslings which are too cloying for me and in my opinion and my opinion only are way overboard for Thanksgiving.  You want a fruit component with the festivities not a bone dry white.

WINE #3 Tilenus Mencia
What?  The region of Biezo, Spain is one of those hidden gems turning out great quality affordable wines.  Their main red grape is called Mencia which is similar to Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley of France.
Why? I'm going with this versatile red because yes there is a slight fruit character to it, but it has beautiful floral flavors of lilac, lavender that will balance with the savory flavors of stuffing, herb roasted chicken, etc.  It's not as terroir driven (there's a Jeopardy question there) as a Loire Cab Franc but in this case I'm not looking for minerality or earthy flavors.  ONLY $10

WINE #5 Cave Saint Desirat Cotes du Rhone Villages
What?  The Rhone Valley of France is home to a bevy of off the beaten path grapes such as Mourvedre, Syrah (not Shiraz), Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan to name just a few.  Spicy fruit with cinnamon and clove balanced off with just enough earth tones to not make them a jelly jar bomb, but not necessarily a barn yard forest floor.
Why? Again, let's go back to the concept that you should focus on the entire meal being served and not just the bird.  With that, you have an entire array of flavors so I give you a wine made up of several flavors that will match.  This particular red is coming from Cotes du Rhone Villages which is a notch up from a regular CDR and at $10 worth the try.

BEER#1 Sin Cider Newton Pippin Hard Cider
This maybe a new concept to some, but beer actually pairs very nice with food, again BUBBLES and low alcohol.  This year has seen an influx in hard ciders.  You may have had Woodchuck or Angry Orchards, but these are slightly different.  These ciders drink like wine as opposed to fizzy yellow beer (cider).  I'm going with this choice thinking that between stuffing, bird, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and such that this will play off those savory flavors.  This particular cider is not too sweet and finishes dry.  If you can find the cherry cider then that would be a terrifc match with the turkey and trimmings.  This isn't a strange concept if you think back to history.  The pilgrims drank beer and most likely fermented ciders.

Experimentation should be the name of the game.  Actually, enjoying the company of family, friends at the holiday dinner table should be the main focus.  All this worrying about being so particular and accurate with pairings is too much. Drink what you like.  If it's a jug of Paisano then so be it just give me a heads up so I can BYOB!

Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving!

F U 2 Cancer Benefit Wine Class 11/21

Last night's class was an absolute blast!  I get excited to hear enthusiastic questions, inquires from people that may have not have asked in a different setting.  Hey people, It's just wine.  Who's gonna tell YOU differently if that's what you're tasting or smelling.  I can't repeat that last sentences enough.  

Ok, let's start planning our next class to help our friend Mike who continues his battle with Stage 4 cancer.  The week before thanksgiving also happens to be the 9 year anniversary for our favorite wine shop in New Haven, Grand Vin Fine Wines.  So, to help them kick off the celebration we're going to have a Spanish cheese and wine class!! November 21st, class begins at 6:30pm and is limited to 10 people.  $30/person or $50/couple.  RSVP ME SOON! All proceeds from this and every November class goes to help Mike kick the hell outta this disease!  Wine brings people together for all sorts of reasons.  Know that you are doing something great for someone all while learning about wine.

See you at class!

Breckenridge Brewing Beer & Cheese Class

For the entire month of November, we will be donating all proceeds from each class to a friend of mine who is battling Stage 4 Cancer at the young age of 39 years old.  For more info on Mike follow this link

http://www.donationto.com/michael-gallipoli. 

Each Thursday night in November we will be working with our friends at Grand Vin Fine Wines, http://www.grandvinonline.com/ , to bring people together through wine to help another human being and his family battle this.

I was starting to think about it and I felt that I was leaving some people out.  I've heard rumors, maybe myths and folklore that some people don't drink wine.  Imagine that.  Some people prefer the aromatic indulgence of hops, barley and malt.  Hey, I'm a beer guy also.  I'm not going to go out there and say I'm the biggest craft beer, hop head out on the scene since that would be insulting to those aficionados.  I DO NOT drink the fizzy yellow stuff.  I like anything with flavor and character.  Something that sets the mood for my taste buds and gets them talking.  A great farmhouse Saison with some triple creme brie, a nice Porter on a cold night ...HMMM!  That's what I go for and I know that there's many who also enjoy this.  I have many friends in the beer field.  Some brewers, sales people, brewery reps...all I consider my ambassadors, my Yoda's in the craft beer world. 

On November 30th, we're bringing in one of those guys, my friend and sales rep from Craft Beer Guild of CT Ryan.  He'll walk you through the brews of Breckenridge Brewery http://www.breckbrew.com/

While I try to nail the cheese pairings.  On a side note, if you've never paired cheese with beer you are truly missing out.  The bubbles combined with the cheese makes the flavors explode!

The class is $20/person, limited to 12 people due to size.  Class begins at 4PM at Grand Vin Fine Wines of New Haven 28 E. Grand Ave

 This also makes a great holiday gift to someone, so if you are thinking that you already know 10-12 people that would love the whole room to yourselves then contact me ASAP before 11/18.  Proceeds from this and every November class go directly to Mike and his family to offset the costs associated with his treatment especially since he can no longer work while undergoing treatment.

Let's face it, after Black Friday and the chaos of the malls everywhere it will be nice to sit, relax with some friends and have a sampling of some fine ass craft brews while knowing that you are helping out another human being.  

Bring some friends or make some new ones!

Email me at 

wineschool101@gmail.com

by 11/18.

I cannot accommodate walk ins due to room size. However, if you would like to plan a similar event, please contact me to discuss dates, topics and the endless possibilities we can do!