[WRO Readers: We’ll be publishing Thanksgiving wine recommendations in this space each day until the holiday–sometimes posting several contributions during a single day–so stay tuned! Ed.]
Thanksgiving is filled with important ‘F’ words such as food, friends, family. Ideally, fun will fit in somewhere as well. Of course, many Thanksgiving traditions are set in stone since the menu is usually confined to the immutable turkey ‘n trimmings, and since we can’t really do much about who our relatives are. Too frequently overlooked, however–and one of the things we can modify–is the fun part of the holiday, which tends to be overshadowed by frenzy. And one place where a little fun might be inserted is in our wine selections.
Too often we approach Thanksgiving vinous choices with undue solemnity despite the fact that no wine is really going to shine 
within the gastronomic disaster of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner anyway. (Let’s acknowledge up front that there simply is no single wine that will go with dark and white turkey meat, candied yams with marshmallows, stuffing dominated by sage/oysters/ sausage or whatever, creamed onions, sweet cranberry sauce, etc.) But instead of trying to find a wine that will be all things to all foods, I suggest choosing a wine or two that have enough well rounded flavors to go with a variety of foods, and are fruity enough to stand up to at least some of the sweet elements in the meal, as well as fresh enough to counteract the heaviness and richness of Thanksgiving dinner.
The wine can be fancy or frugal depending on one’s budget and on the number of people to be served–it isn’t really about price for a meal like this–but it should be a fine wine, which is to say well balanced and very tasty. And of course it should be an unexpected delight, appropriately festive, and an unusual enough choice for it to be fun. Dry Muscat from Alsace, Gewurztraminer from New York’s Finger Lakes (Dr. Frank’s for example), Viognier from Virginia, or Lagrien from Italy’s Alto Adige region–any of these wines would be food-friendly and fabulous options for Thanksgiving. Sparkling Shiraz is another fun possibility.
Domaine Carneros, Carneros (California) Pinot Meunier 2005 ($35): Since Pinot Meunier is the third grape in Champagne 
(along with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), it’s probably not surprising that the venerable sparkling wine house Domaine Chandon vinifies some of its Meunier as a still wine. This Pinot Meunier has some of the silkiness of its close relative Pinot Noir, but with a somewhat stronger tannic grip, it will be good with more assertive items in the Thanksgiving cornucopia. At the same time, it is delicate enough to go with some of the lighter fare, and its sunny fruitiness may even help carry it along with the sweet potatoes. Above all, the wine’s overall charm will help everyone overlook the fact that a traditional Thanksgiving dinner is not a meal designed for serious food and wine pairing, but rather for merriment, fellowship and, of course, giving thanks.
Rumball, Coonawarra, South Australia SB 18 Sparkling Shiraz ($30,Scott Street Portfolio): The wine is deep ruby red, creamy on the palate, and has fine bubbles. Because of its good balance between fruit, acid, tannins and sweetness (and this 
wine is a tad on the sweet side), it makes a festive aperitif or even a versatile wine throughout the Thanksgiving dinner. Sparkling Shiraz may seem a wacky choice to many serious-minded wine consumers (and certainly the wine media tend to disdain this Australian specialty) but I think it’s a great Thanksgiving tipple. Don’t confuse it with Cold Duck or other sweet, insipid, lightly carbonated pale red wines, for the best Sparkling Shiraz wines can be both gutsy and elegant, and they are most often dry rather than sweet. Because it gets its color from contact with grape skins the wine tends to have fine tannins, and it also has less acidity than many white wines. Some Sparkling Shiraz is made by the Charmat Method (fermented in a tank), but many of the classiest ones are produced just like Champagne, a procedure that involves secondary fermentation, ageing, disgorgement etc. A few Californian vintners are starting to make Sparkling Shiraz, but it is a true Australian wine with a long history. According to Peter Rumball’s website (www.rumball.com) it was first created in 1888 by a French winemaker (Edmund Mazure) plying his trade Down Under. Sparkling Shiraz is a traditional Christmas beverage in Australia, where there are more than 60 different labels on the market. They are often hard to find in the US, but with growing consumer awareness and enthusiasm more of them are showing up. The first one I ever tasted, years ago, was made by Charles Melton, and it was a truly eye-opening, palate-thrilling, memorable experience. Among other good choices that are available (though perhaps hard to find) in the US are Hardys, Black Chook, Fox Creek, Magella, and Peter Lehman.
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