Wine help for Turkey Day

It is that time of year again when the holidays come roaring in to our lives. With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I know many people are finalizing their menu and the wines that go with it.

The following wines are pretty safe bets for your Tra

ditional Turkey Feast. I have listed some producers that make the style that should be perfect with the dinner. CHEERS!

Pinot Noir:

I tend to favor Oregon Pinots for my Turkey day meal red wine. They are not as much a fruit bomb as something you might find from California and have the right body to stand up to your turkey without over powering it. Some good choices:

Domaine Serene (Oregon) A to Z (Oregon) Bethel Heights (Oregon)

Zinfandel:

On the other hand sometime a fruit bomb is exactly what you need! Zinfandel is the better option when comparing between a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Syrah. Zinfandel has less tannins and so for those white meat lovers, the wine will not overpower your turkey and will pair wonderfully with your cranberries, maple glazed carrots and stuffing! Some good options:

Dashe (California) Turley (California) Segehsio (California) Murphy Goode (California)

Chardonnay:

Those of you who have spoken with me about Chardonnays know that I usually stray from my oaked chardonnays but in this case, the soft mouth feel and creaminess of an oaked chardonnay is exactly what your buttery mashed potatoes and gravy call for! Some good options:

La Crema (Sonoma Coast, CA) Patz and Hall (Sonoma Coast, CA) Joseph Drouhin St Veran (France) Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuisse (France)

Riesling:

Here I am calling out for a dry Riesling. A Riesling has a natural acidity (that mouth watering feel) to it and because of this it balances out some of the more savory dishes that accompany Turkey Day. This along with the wide range of flavors that you will pick up off the nose make it a great compliment! Some good options to try:

Eroica (Washington) Chateau Ste. Michelle (Washington) Snoqualmie (Washington) Dr. Loosen (Germany) — either labelled “Spatlese” or Kabinette

Gewurtztraminer:

Many of us think of this wine as sweet but it also spicy. I know, I know . . . stick with me here. Gewurtz is known for its heavily aromatic nose with many different fruits and flowers (most popular are apricot and roses) but also ginger and white pepper which make it a very versatile wine! Some options are:

Hugel (Alsace, France) Zind-Humbrecht (Alsace, France) Trimbach (Alsace, France) Chateau Ste. Michelle (Washington)