On this most festive, celebratory day–when we’re with family and friends–in my world it’s an absolute necessity to start with Champagne to complement all of the opening nibbles.
If your taste runs to dry, light-bodied, elegant Champagnes, I would recommend Ayala, either their Brut Zero, or even better, Rosé Nature, one of the few rosé Champagnes with absolutely no dosage (added sugar). Both are totally delicious. Another one of my favorite Champagne producers in the light, dry, elegant mode is Bruno Pailliard. All of his Champagnes are outstanding; I especially enjoy Pailliard’s Chardonnay Réserve Privée.
For Champagnes with a little more heft, you can’t go wrong with Gosset’s Grande Réserve or Charles Heidsieck’s Brut Réserve, two of the best non-vintage bruts being made today. Another favorite is Pol Roger; I particularly like this producer’s Blanc de Blancs.
One of the great aspects of Thanksgiving is that the main course, which is usually turkey, goes well with both white and red wines. I like to have both types on hand. Chardonnay has an affinity with turkey. I prefer leaner Chardonnays made with little or no oak. Chablis, which is 100 percent Chardonnay and made in the cool-climate region around the village of Chablis in France, is my top white wine recommendation. It’s fairly lean, pure, and not as expensive as the white Burgundies from France’s famed Côte d’Or region. A producer to look for is Louis Michel, who makes Chablis wines without using oak. The 2008 vintage is an excellent one for Chablis, by the way.
I have never been a big fan of California Chardonnays, but I have noticed that many producers are making some excellent Chardonnays lately. Two favorite producers from Sonoma’s Russian River Valley are Williams Selyem and Hanna. Hanzell, also from Sonoma, is another perennial top Chardonnay producer. Other fine Chardonnays include Long Vineyards from Napa Valley and Mt. Eden Estate from the Santa Cruz Mountains, south of San Francisco.
The red wines that I prefer with turkey should be fruity rather than tannic. I would rule out Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, and all similar types of red wine for this reason. Two inexpensive reds that I believe pair well with Thanksgiving dinners are Beaujolais and Barbera. I like the more serious Beaujolais wines from small producers such as Jean-Paul Brun. Barbera, from Italy’s Piedmont region, is another can’t-miss red. But I’d avoid the expensive, over $25 Barberas, almost all of which are aged in oak. You can find wonderful, lively under $20 Barberas, such as Vietti’s Barbera d’Asti Tre Vigne, that are more suitable wines for your Thanksgiving dinner.
A more expensive choice of red wine with turkey and the trimmings would be a red Burgundy. With turkey, I’d choose a fairly young Burgundy (from 2002 thru 2007) from the Côte de Beaune, such as a Volnay. Pinot Noirs from California’s Sonoma Coast can also be fine, but choose carefully. Some of my favorite California producers include Littorai, Hartford Court, Hirsch Vineyards, and Williams Selyem.
After all of that food and wine, I usually am not looking for a dessert wine at the end of the day. Instead, I’d opt for a digestif, such as Fernet Branca. And, finally, I’d look for a nice, soft couch to take a nap–while pretending to watch the football games.
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