What Are You Bringing To The Table?

It’s good to be back writing again after a lengthy layoff, and what better time to jump back in than to do it with Thanksgiving coming up. Last year, I put together a nice little Thanksgiving guide for you, but I can’t just mail in my first post in two months.

So I pose the question to you…what are you bringing to the table? Whether you are hosting or traveling, you are doing something to contribute this Thanksgiving, right? Of course you are, and perhaps you don’t know what to go for or you find yourself needing a change from the usual.

I will be honest…you can bring just about any beverage of your choosing and it will be fine. Seriously! The beauty of the Thanksgiving feast is that you have a lot of different things to choose from. Turkey itself is fairly mild and many wines will work fine. Sometimes the challenge can be strong flavors; maybe you have a lot of herbs and greens as your sides. Cranberry sauce is sweet and sour. What if you are frying or charcoal-smoking your turkey? Here are some guidelines to help you find the right wine for your holiday table.

Skip the “big” wines”

Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo have a lot of tannins, acids, and power. They overwhelm just about anything on your table. Additionally, oaky Chardonnay (particularly from the New World) will create bitter flavors on your palate. Save these wines for after dinner if you really like them.

Skip the acidic wines

Sauvignon Blanc can be aggressively acidic and feel thin and tart on your palate with all the rich foods, however acidic wines with some texture can be a very good match. Instead, lean on a white Bordeaux, which typically has Sauvignon Blanc, with some Sémillon blended in. Sémillon has a soft, honeyed texture that tamps down the piercing acids Sauvignon Blanc. Chateau Lamothe de Haux ($15) is consistently a good example.

Go classic: Pinot Noir or Gamay

Pinot Noir’s liveliness, fruitiness, and silky texture are great for Thanksgiving. The baking spices and earthiness that comes through in this grape matches particularly well. I tend to lean on Pinot Noir from Oregon or even Chile; both regions give a nice balance of the aspects I mentioned above. Additionally, Gamay from Burgundy, which you will often find as Beaujolais is lighter and fruitier than Pinot Noir and virtually no tannin. Louis Latour released a blend of these two grapes (85% Gamay, 15% Pinot Noir, $15) that to me is the ultimate Thanksgiving wine.

If you smoked your turkey…

Time to go for something a little more intense than Pinot Noir and Gamay, which are delicate and will fade behind a smoked turkey. Here is a spot to try a Zinfandel, Grenache/Syrah blend, or South African red blend. Zinfandel is plush and jammy, low in tannin but full-bodied and able to stand up to the stength of smoking. A southern French red blend (such as the $13 Mas Sauvaire from the Languedoc region) would work here, too. A.A. Badenhorst’s Secateurs ($15) is another fine option if you want to explore South Africa.

Be daring: Go with an aromatic white

Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer are noble grapes in Alsace, with fruity/floral and exotic flavors and aromas. The richness of Alsace Pinot Gris is a great choice. Gewurztraminer has full-bodied tropical fruit flavors and can be very good with a ham if you have guests that don’t do turkey. Viognier is a luxurious white Rhone variety that offers similar aromas to Riesling but with more body and weight. Even better…try a blend of some of these varieties! Willm “Gentil” is a noble white Alsace blend ($13) and Korta “Irune” ($16) from Chile is Viognier, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc. Either would be a lot of fun at the table.

Cheat and bring bubbly

No one refuses Champagne, Prosecco, or sparkling wine of any kind. No one, I’m convinced. Plus it is a great way to start the day. Champagne Aubry ($38) is very reasonably priced with an orange zest and brioche character. Mionetto Prosecco ($12) is fun and fruity, suitable for drinking on its own or for making a cocktail. If you don’t have a Champagne budget, try a “Cremant” such as Bailly Lapierre’s Blanc de Noirs ($19).

Try Sherry

Sherry is great for any hard-to-pair meal. Heck, the Spanish drink it with their tapas, since you have so many different foods coming. It has a salty, nutty character with just the right amount of texture. An Amontillado Sherry such as Emilio Lustau’s Los Arcos ($15) is a fine way to introduce yourself to Sherry if you have never tried it before.

No need to go super-expensive…but go ahead if you want to!

I mean, you can if you want to and there is something satisfying about enjoying a high-end wine at holiday time, but chances are higher that Thanksgiving is going to be quantity-driven. I am helping you keep costs down by keeping my recommendations under $20 where possible.

With that, I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. Cheers!

Ham vs. Lamb: The Great Easter Battle

Up here in New England, we got our first real taste of springtime over the weekend and I know those south of here are actually going to experience something more summer-like to start the week. With the warmth, barrage of blooming vegetation and subsequent allergies comes Easter Sunday, a very important holiday for the Christian/Catholic community.

Easter (along with Passover) signal a bit of a change in our eating habits. We finally find some quality seasonal produce from our grocers and markets. Along comes the desire for lighter, fresher meals with vibrant flavors that are a contrast from the heavy stews and roasts (though not totally eliminated). Perhaps if you are not a year-round grilling person, you might be firing up the Weber in the coming days. Our (OK...my) drinking preferences change, too. the big, tannic red wines and rich white wines are exchanged for lighter reds, leaner whites, and perhaps a little rosé (by the way, you will notice a theme of "transition" being hammered home in this week's posts). A change of pace is good for all of us; it keeps us on our toes.

If you are celebrating Easter with a big feast, chances are a baked ham or a cut of lamb will be your dinner table's centerpiece. Based on what direction you go in, you have subcategories of each. Is your ham smoked, or honey-glazed? Are you have leg of lamb, rack of lamb, or grilled lamb chops? With these decisions come wine choices. Different styles and grape varieties are going to impact your palate based on your meat selection.

Generally speaking, ham has a rich texture with a sweet/salty flavor profile. When you add seasonings or glazes, it adds another layer of complexity, making pairing challenging. Lamb is deep, earthy, and strongly flavored. You might find lamb seasoned simply with salt and pepper or prepared with a mint jelly that is also going to add a wrinkle to pairing wines.

So what to do? Well, I have a group of six recommendations for you below, because we are covering quite the range of styles for both main course dinner and for the accompanying wines. Prices are, as always, an approximation. If none of these play well with that side dish of asparagus on Sunday, fear not...I'll have an explanation for you next time. Until then, what are you having on Sunday: Ham or lamb?

Brooks Amycas White Blend ($18)

I have to say, Brooks Winery, located in Amity, Oregon, is one of my favorite producers as they consistently offer high-quality juice. This interesting blend (vintage 2016) of 44% Riesling, 21% Pinot Blanc, 15% Muscat, 10% Gewurztraminer, and 10% Pinot Gris is a New World take on the classic "Gentil" blend of noble aromatic varieties of Alsace, France. All of the tropical and exotic fruits are strong in this one (pineapple, papaya, lychee) and fruity on the palate. Great with a straightforward unglazed baked ham. If you want to go the Old World route, legendary Alsatian producer Hugel has its Gentil ($14) based on the same varieties as Brooks, but with a grape called "Sylvaner" in place of the Pinot Blanc

La Croix des Loges Anjou Chenin Blanc ($16)

Chenin Blanc is an underappreciated variety. Its high natural acidity screams out for food and this barrel-aged example has flavors and aromas of peaches, nectarines, honeysuckle with a honeyed texture that finishes clean with a touch of sweetness. This is the wine you want for the honey-glazed ham.

Alexander Valley Vineyards Rosé of Sangiovese ($16)

This is a powerfully fruity pink wine that taste like a glass of herbed strawberries. This is a very good crossover wine if you have both of our featured meats; the peach notes are great with spices on a ham, the minty herbaceousness great with a roast lamb

Undurraga Terroir Hunter Pinot Noir ($24)

Pinot Noir has become a popular choice for hams, New World styles in particular thanks to its fruity/jammy red berry flavors and softness on the palate. The example from Undurraga has lush fruit and body; it's slight smokiness is a fine partner if you have a smoked ham.

Condado de Haza Ribera del Duero ($25)

Made of 100% Tempranillo from the outstanding producer Alejandro Fernandez, this wine is packed with dark berry fruit, tobacco and leather. If you are going with the roasted leg of lamb, this is what I'm going with.

Thorn Clarke "Shotfire" Shiraz ($23)

If you are taking the lamb to the grill, this Aussie Shiraz has plenty of bold jammy berry fruit, and peppery character to stand up to the char and the lamb's distinct flavor profile. If you are adding mint to the equation, detour from Shiraz to Wynn's Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon ($20-ish). It has the same dark fruit and boldness, but eucalyptus, basil and fresh mint enter the picture and that will complement the mint sauce on your lamb.