Author: Dirk Chan
Wow, time flies…Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so here is our annual picks to accompany the classic turkey and ham dinner and all its fixings. Start your evening off with a sparkling wine, followed by whites, reds and finally ending with a dessert wine.
Sparkling wines are a great way to start any function whether its a greeting aperitif or to pair with appetizers. Here are three very different recommendations: The Canella Prosecco di Conegliano from Italy is both well priced and delicious with lively citrus notes and delicate bubbles. The unusual Cabernet Franc based sparkling red from Chateau Langlois Carmin Dry
from Chateau Langlois in the Loire Valley can work with meat based appetizers or for the adventurous used in conjunction with the roasted turkey as well – the foamy red notes go great with the cranberry sauce. For those who want the best, a couple of recommendations in French Champagne – the NV de Sousa Zoemie Brut Merveille is rich and generous with the toasty bread notes while the vintage dated 2000 Dom Perignon is world renowed and certain to impress.
Whites with a touch of sweetness is preferred because of the sweetness of some of the fixings – candied yams, cranberry sauce, and honey for the glazed ham. A completely dry white will seem more austere and void of fruit due to the sweetness of the food so I recommend Rieslings, Gewurztraminers or other Germanic or Alsace varietals.
The Vineland Estates Semi-Dry Riesling from the Niagara is one such white, slightly off-dry sweet but with excellent fruit and acid. Then the stunning Domaine Weinbach Gewurztraminer Theo from Alsace has a brilliant nose, great balance and class. For those who insists on having a dry white, the wonderful Springfield Estate Wild Yeast Chardonnay from South Africa is one of the best Chardonnays we’ve tasted this year, vanilla tinged yet plenty of pear and apple flavors too.
For reds, try to avoid the big oaky tannic monsters. Oak and tannins are the enemies when pairing with slightly sweet food, try for a red with lots of upfront fruit, little oak and a soft structure like a Beaujolais or Pinot Noir. A very fruity Zinfandel or an unoaked Portguese red will work wellas well. The Duboeuf Brouilly Beaujolais is a perennial favourite in its flashy major bottle, while the Amayna Pinot Noir from Chile is superb, combining both new and old world characteristics. For something off the wall, try the Vier Jahreszeiten Spatburgunder from Germany which is light bodied yet fresh and interesting with its cherry notes and bright acidity. Finally, the Bruno Clair Les Champs Perdrix from Burgundy is in its prime drinking window, both complex and terroir driven in a lighter than normal Vosne Romanee style.
As for dessert, i would recommend the massive Seppelt DP37 Rutherglen Tokay from South Australia for pairing with pecan pie, the Pisano EtXe Oneko Tannat Liqueur from Uruguay if doing a chocolate based dessert, the fabulous Chenin Blanc based Chateau Prince with fruit based desserts, and finally if all else fails, the fully mature 1980 Smith Woodhouse Vintage Port for sipping by the fire all by itself.
Finally, if you are pressed for time, try out our October Mixed Case – $207.47 which has been designed around Thanksgiving dinner.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
- NV Canella Prosecco (Veneto, Italy) – $21.49
- NV Chateau Langlois Carmin Dry (Loire, France) – $27.99
- NV de Sousa Zoemie Brut (Champagne, France) – $54.99
- 2000 Dom Perignon Brut (Champagne, France) – $224.99
- 2007 Vineland Estates Semi-Dry Riesling (Niagara, Ontario) – $16.49
- 2004 Springfield Estate Wild Yeast Chardonnay (Robertson, South Africa) – $31.99
- 2006 Domain Weinbach Cuvée Theo Gewurztraminer (Alsace, France) – $59.99
- 2006 Georges DuBoeuf Brouilly (Beaujolais, France) – $17.99
- 2005 Amayna Pinot Noir (Leyda Valley, Chile – $33.99
- 2006 Vier Jahreszeiten Spatburgunder (Pfalz, Germany) – $17.99
- 2003 Bruno Clair Les Champs Perdrix (Burgundy, France) – $69.99
- NV Seppelt DP37 Rutherglen Tokay (South Australia) – $21.99
- 2005 Pisano EtXe Oneko Tannat Liqueur – 375mL (Progreso, Uruguay) – $31.99
- 2007 Château Princé (Coteaux de l’Aubance, France) – $28.99
- 1980 Smith Woodhouse Vintage Port (Douro, Portugal) – $124.99
- October Mixed Case – $207.47
Goodness me Thanksgiving again so soon!
I would like to share with readers here my TN on a marvellous `83 Mas Amiel Reserve from Maury (Roussillon).
I think I purchased this bottle around 1992 from La Vigneronne in London. Probably paid around twenty pounds or so.
90% Grenache, Macabeu and Carignan I think? 70-litre glass demijohns then into foudres. Fortified, has a short stopper. 16% alc, opened and double decanted right away. Tasted with the staff at DeVines winestore downtown, we usually open something different from time to time!! Some of their comments are in quotation marks.
Color. Rainbow of varying brown reflections, “looks like an aged tawny”.
I thought pale orange-brown rim, medium depth in centre, no red at all. I think it could have a Madeira look about it?
Nose. Figs, burnt sugar, port-like, caramel, “toffee apple….nutty”.
Palate. Initial entry thought was terrific acidity still, rich, caramel on finish. No way is this close to being dead!
I noted quite a lot of sediment during decanting. The finish goes on and on, candied maraschino cherries, quite port-like indeed. Very good with some walnuts, “madeira..molasses….best wine I have tasted in 6 months”.
I thought quite thick and the burnt sugar reminded me of a cream caramel. I was able to take some home but hope it does not oxidize too quickly. Very proud to have opened with some excellent palates around me.
Comment by Bob Parsons — October 5, 2009 @ 12:38 am