Parameters: Must go well with turkey. Preferably not too dry; I’d sooner drink vinegar (as a data point, I actually like white Zinfandel but am trying to improve my palate).
Doesn’t need to be 40 bucks a bottle but I guess I’d rather go a step or three above Two Buck Chuck Doesn’t need to impress Niles and Frasier Crane either, I’ve no desire to become that wine-ologically ejamacated.
Bonus question: Same parameters as above, but nice beef rib roast instead of turkey. Your prize: My undying (hic) thanks
Well, you’re in luck with Turkey. The best wines with Turkey IMO are semi-sweet. Try a Vouvray or a semi-sweet Riesling or Gewurtztaminer. You should be able to find a nice bottle of any of those in the $10-$15 range at your local wine store.
With beef, I’d go with something red and fruity. A good red Zinfandel - Zabaco makes a nice one - would go very nicely. Or something like Jest Red, ~$10, smooth, jammy, a crowd pleaser.
I’m bringing Pinot Noir for Thanksgiving. Mark West, 2004, about $10. I usually don’t trust Pinot in this price range, but this stuff’s pretty good. My other Thanksgiving standby is Zinfandel. It’s an American holiday, and Zin is probably the most American of wines. I’m partial to Ridge, but there’s plenty of good Zin out there under $20. I’m not too good with the whites. I’m sure someone will be along with those shortly.
Cabernet Sauvugnon would be the obvious choice. Sebastiani makes some pretty reasonably priced stuff (about $15). I’ve got some of the '01 and '02 that are quite good for something in this price range.
I’ll also take this opportunity to pimp my current favorite. Mas de Boislauzon, 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape. It’s a little spendy ($25-$30), but I’d be great with your rib roast.
Whites:
Riesling:
JJ Prüm Riesling Kabinett - A classic German riesling.
Gewürztraminer:
Chateau St. Jean Gewürztraminer - This is a great CA gewürtz. I first picked it up at the winery last year before Thanksgiving, mostly because it was local and cheap, but I ended up really, really liking it. Very refreshing.
For Riesling and Gewürztraminer, look for the most current vintage the wine shop has in stock.
Reds:
Pinot Noir:
I’m not sure how available it is, but my absolute favorite Pinot Noir is Merry Edwards Russian River Valley. A nicely weighted, fruity pinot.
Beaujolais Nouveau:
Georges DuBoeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2005 - A harvest tradition, This is a nice example of the wine. Light and fruity. Serve it slightly chilled.
As for the rib roast - I’m a huge fan of Zinfandel, and right now my favorite producer in this area is Edmeades. Try the Mendocino Zin. Nice flavors, nice finish.
Depends on how you are cooking the turkey, and what the sides are, really. I prefer a red, so this year we are taking into the field a Cardiff Cellars 1999 Cab, a Julius Wile 1999 Shiraz, 2 bottles of Postales del Fin del Mundo 2004 Argentinian Cab/Malbec blend, and 2 bottles of a Canyon Oak 2004 Cab. None of these is more than $15. The turkey will be pit-cooked all day, and served with stuffing, pea salad, mashed potatoes and the usual condiments.
I bought three bottles of a light syrah for Thanksgiving this year. Normally it wouldn’t be a good fit, but it was included in a syrah tasting I attended about a month ago, and both I and my companion were struck by how relatively gentle it was, especially for the price (something like twelve bucks a bottle). “Hey, this would be good at Thanksgiving,” I said, and he agreed, so I bought three.
'Course, now I can’t remember which label it was. Wolf Blass? Perhaps.
I don’t see any reason for special underwear. Riesling’s a perfectly cromulent wine. If you’re drinking that Boone’s Farm though, I suppose an additional set of underwear might be in order.
Depending on the state you live in, you might find your best wine deals that the Supermarket. Safeway (surprisingly) in my area has a very good wine selection and some great prices. If you don’t know much about the different vintners, go with something from Napa or Sonoma. Last time I was in there I picked up a very nice Coppola (yes, that guy) Chardonnay for about $12. Chardonnays do not have to be super dry, and this one isn’t.
BV (Napa Valley) Cabernet is usually a very nice red that you can pick up for $12 - $15 if you look around. Again, Safeway usually has this one at a good price.
Becker Vineyards in Fredericksburg, Texas puts out some really good wines. My favorites are the Claret and the slightly less expensive but still very good Iconoclast Cabernet Savignion. To quote Jackie Gleason, “Oh, that’s good booze!”
Great thread; I just got invited to a coworker’s Thanksgiving dinner and need to bring some wine. I was going to pick up a couple of bottles of the Saintsbury Garnet Pinot Noir–a long-favored standard in my inventory–but I may have to pick up a bottle of Riesling, too. I’ve never been a big fan of sweet wines but I’ll admit to being less than experienced on Rieslings, and if I don’t care for it I’m sure somebody else will. And I wasn’t really thinking about the primeur wines but it’s perfect timing for them.
The only problem now is deciding what to take. If I show up with a case of wine I’m going to look like some kind of emergent alkie, especially since I was also planning to bring a bottle of Black Bush. Lessee, definitely the pinot and a nouveau, or maybe the Riesling and and a novello…
My family always drinks Mateus Rose when we have turkey.
Dy-No-Mite combination!
Have an extra helping of turkey and gravey for me, in Canada we celebrate Thanksgiving in October. So I have to wait for Christmas for my next turkey fix!
I’ve spent the past half week taste testing various French reds. I finally decided on Georges Duboeuf Moulin à Vent '03 Beaujolais (about $11). Light-ish, fruity, with just enough character to please the more discerning palate.
I liked the hell out of Domaine de la Renjarde '03 Côtes du Rhone (about $12), but decided it wasn’t quite the thing with turkey. Now if we were having lamb…
I dunno, I think flames would be dangerous. That stuff is flammable.
I wouldn’t dare flame anyone for liking Riesling. I mean, I’ve confessed to liking white Zinfandel (and I’ve had some nice Rieslings too). Though I haven’t stooped so low as to drink Boone’s Farm. Gimme Wild Irish Rose any day
Many thanks to all the suggestions. Lots of excellent ideas, keep 'em coming. I’m definitely going to check out a wine shop Wednesday with a printout of this thread. Yum!!
Heh. I’m bringing a case and a half of wine to Thanksgiving dinner. “Emergent,” hell!
At a good wine store, they’re able to take your preferences and menu into account to suggest good wines in your price range. Some also offer tastings of certain wines. There’s a little mom and pop shop near me that has a great selection and has always done a great job of matching what’s in my head with a great bottle of wine.
If you’re thinking Reisling, consider one of the German Reislings, as opposed to a California Reisling. The flavor is a bit dryer, which I like. (I’m not much for sweet wines, myself, but you like white zin, so maybe California Reisling is for you.) If you’re looking for a Chardonnay, try Cakebread. For reds, Shafer is nice. But I think whatever you select will be a hit.
Depends on how they make it–there are some wonderful German rieslings that are very sweet. If you like spicy Thai food, for example, a sweet riesling is an excellent pairing.
I thought you were going to post the wine list from The Wild Ginger in Seattle.
Actually, the last time I ate there, I had a marvelous Martini Brothers Primativo Zinfandel (Old Growth). It went quite well with the varied dishes we had.
Doesn’t need to impress Niles and Frasier Crane either, I’ve no desire to become that wine-ologically ejamacated.
