[WRO Readers: We’ll be publishing Thanksgiving wine recommendations from our WRO contributors in this space almost every day until the holiday–so stay tuned! Michael Franz]
“If you don’t like Pinot Noir, you don’t like chicken on Sunday!” Sammy Davis Jr. made that sensible claim. OK, maybe Sam didn’t use those exact words, but if he had been pressed on his thoughts about Pinot Noir, I like to think that he would have said something like that. Then again, if memory serves, Davis and his hard-drinking Rat Pack cronies preferred beverages made from grains over those made from grapes. But I digress.
Chicken is the all-purpose white meat. Sammy Davis Jr. didn’t say that
either, but he probably would have agreed that if you’re trying to get someone to eat something different, like braised tofu or Morton Bay Bugs (The pre-historic-looking beetle-like crustaceans preferred by Australians), then you just say, when asked, that it tastes like chicken. Another digression: This is a good place to confess that since my last blog on Thanksgiving wines in 2008, I’ve become a vegetarian, which explains the tofu suggestion. So, any food and wine pairings I suggest from here on out that mention meat are based on past experiences.
So, let’s forget the chicken for now and talk about Pinot Noir and why it’s such a great wine to have with a wide range of foods, including the traditional Thanksgiving bird and all the various side dishes. First, though, we need to clear the air on an important issue. It may not be P-C today to talk about gender in the same breath as red wines, but there is some truth in the old non P-C adage that Pinot Noir is more feminine while Cabernet Sauvignon is more masculine. Think about it: Pinot Noir is suppler while Cabernet is more rigid; Pinot Noir is more 
accessible while Cabernet is more closed in; Pinot Noir is more seductive while Cabernet is more…well, you get the idea. Which brings me to the point of this digression: Pinot Noir is a great wine to have with your holiday meal, no matter what food you serve. So, here are five Pinots I tasted this past year that will bring enjoyment to any holiday meal.
Prophets Rock 2007 Central Otago, New Zealand Pinot Noir ($45) is fragrant with black cherry and spice notes and has exceptional balance and length. It’s delicious now and will only improve with more bottle age. Beauregard Vineyards 2006 Ben Lomond Mountain, Santa Cruz Mountains, California Pinot Noir ($59) overflows with Pinot Noir character and flavors. Richly textured and rich with rhubarb, wild strawberry and spice accents, refined long tannins and a hint of cloves, it is an unmistakable California Pinot Noir in all its Pinot glory. J Vineyards 2007 Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, Nicole’s Vineyard Pinot Noir ($65) shows why the Russian River Valley is ground zero for great California Pinot Noir. Scented with violets, sweet spice and black cherry, it has a silky texture and nicely integrated tannins. La Crema 2007 Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California Pinot Noir ($38) is another complex Russian River Pinot Noir offering traces of fragrant flowers, black cherry and citrus rind. There’s a lot to like in this sumptuous wine. WillaKenzie Estate 2006 Willamette Valley Yamhill-Carlton District, Oregon Pierre Leon Pinot Noir ($43) is concentrated and nicely balanced, with dark plum, boiled beet, black pepper and a trace of earthiness. The Pierre Leon is a Pinot to savor now or with another year or two of bottle age.
Multi-tasking may be a good thing but it can also be hazardous to your thought process. While thinking about my Thanksgiving wine picks, I started cleaning out my files and found an old newspaper clipping about a little wine tale that seemed to mock my Pinot Noir choices. A writer was invited to the home of a former restaurant owner who cooked “a beautiful but simple spaghetti dinner and served it with a great-tasting bottle of red wine poured from a decanter.” The writer asked the name of the wine but his host said it wasn’t important and what’s more, he couldn’t remember. As the writer was leaving, he sneaked into the kitchen for a peek — it was 1959 Chateau Latour.
Maybe it was Sammy Davis’ house since he could have afforded to serve Latour with spaghetti, although I would have opted for a full-bodied Pinot. Happy Thanksgiving!
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