To me this day involves the gathering of family and close friends, the sharing of delicious, traditional foods and being thankful for life’s blessings. I love working alongside my mom in what always seems like a tiny kitchen, tasting the delicious buttery mashed potatoes and stealing finger licks of gravy. I love staying at the table for hours, telling stories, laughing, and enjoying everyone’s company, all while drinking delicious wine.
When it comes to choosing wine for the Thanksgiving holiday, I lean towards drinking wine made in America since it is an American holiday. I believe it is important to choose easy drinking wine that pairs well with the comfort food we all eat around the Thanksgiving table. What you do not want to drink are wines that will overpower your food. Keep in mind there is never a wrong wine to drink on Thanksgiving, I am just here to offer you a few examples and do the research for you!
Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine: In my family, we like to start off the day with some sparkling wine. This Schramsberg sparkling wine is bright and crisp with lots of fruit flavors. It pairs well with poultry, cheeses and vegetables or as an aperitif, making it a perfect start to your Thanksgiving meal.
Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay: My family has selected this wine as a go to chardonnay for as long as I can remember. This is a fabulous, popular California chardonnay. It is a rich, medium-bodied buttery chardonnay with a nice long lingering finish. It stands up nicely to the rich dishes you will be indulging in with your turkey.
Grgich Hills Napa Valley Zinfandel: Grgich Hills Estate, located in Calistoga, makes some dynamite wine. This vineyard is biodynamic, meaning they use no pesticides, no fertilizers, and they treat their vineyard as a living self-sustaining organism. This zinfandel has fantastic fruit flavors with earthy undertones. It is soft on the tannins with only a little bit of oak, allowing it to stand up nicely to Thanksgiving dishes. It most definitely will not overpower your stuffing and sweet potato pie!
Wishing you a restful Thanksgiving holiday filled with lots of yummy food and divine wine!
