Wine Review Monday

Thanksgiving is only a few days away and if you are the one who's cooking dinner the last thing on your mind is choosing the wine.

The traditional foods served in 1621 at Plymouth Rock have evolved over the centuries with the changing times, so that now our menu consists of turkey or ham, stuffing, a variety of potatoes, green been casseroles and other green vegetables, and accompanied by the sweet/tart cranberry sauces and other sweet flavored sides.

Unfortunately, there is no one single wine that will be a perfect match for all these foods. No need to stress. These simple tips will help with your wine selection.

** If you are out shopping for your wines and are overwhelmed by the many choices, don't fret. Just ask a salesperson for help. They will be happy to answer your questions and will assist you in choosing the wines you and your guests will enjoy.

** This holiday meal is best with food-friendly white wines, sparkling wines, and roses.

** For red wine lovers, choose a light-bodied red with mild tannins. The big, bold red wines with heavy tannins will overpower the turkey and the wine will not get the respect it deserves, nor will the turkey. Save those for another day.

**Dessert is a big part of any holiday meal. Choose a sweeter wine to serve with dessert. Rieslings come in a variety of styles from dry to sweet. You can choose a dry style for dinner and and off-dry or sweet style for dessert.

Here are a few suggestions to help you make your wine selections for Thanksgiving dinner.

Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Sauvignon Blanc are very food-friendly. These white wines have floral aromas and fruity flavors with crisp acidity to compliment the many flavors on the dinner table. Rieslings from the Finger Lakes region in New York State are well balanced with fruity pear flavors and are almost a perfect match with Thanksgiving dinner.

Don't be afraid to choose a sparkling wine. They are very affordable and food-friendly. One very affordable sparkler is a Valdobbiadene Prosecco which is low in alcohol. Prosecco is available in "brut" which is considered dry, "extra dry" which is lightly sweet, or "dry" which is a little sweeter than the extra-dry so you can choose a style for dinner and dessert.

For the red wine drinkers, Pinot Noir from Oregon or Washington State is a great pairing. The tannins are mild and won't compete with the turkey.


Happy Thanksgiving!

Salute!
Winelady Cooks