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It's the Stuffing, Stupid!
Nov. 17, 2010
With the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday bearing down upon us, I'd like to offer some suggestions to help inject some variety into the Holiday meal. In most families, the Thanksgiving Holiday is a meal where occasional wine drinkers will tip a glass with their family to toast the special day. Typically, focusing on pairing with the turkey, Thanksgiving has been a great boon for the sales of domestic Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Many a family has enjoyed the crisp and fruity wines with their families. However, I'd like to suggest a different approach, one where the part of the meal to focus on pairing is the part that embraces a bit of variety — the stuffing.
I was fortunate enough a few years ago to be a part of a tasting that sampled six different stuffings with wine pairings. One of the great treats of the night was enjoying an oyster stuffing. The great savory flavors and brininess of the oysters were a natural match for the crisp glass of Champagne. Personally, I prefer a stem of Moet & Chandon Imperial, or a great alternative from California, Roederer Estate Brut sparkling wine.
My heritage is (obviously) Italian, and my sister years ago found a great Italian Sausage and wild rice stuffing. The match for that we have had over the years is a Chianti Classico or Rosso di Toscana. We like the Borgo Scopeto Chianti Classico and Caparzo Rosso di Montalcino. These wineries in the recent vintages have been excellent. Fruity, forward wines that will also pair well with the dark meat of your turkey.
Many great recipes are out there using a rubbed sage dressing. Nice earthy complex flavors sometimes mixed with cornbread . I love the great Galaxy of Rhone wines that are available at a great price. Any casual wine buyer has seen the names in their favorite wine shop: Perrin,Guigal,Jaboulet etc. The value and excellence of the 2007 vintage is still available. (Hint: the 2009’s are fabulous also.) But, don’t forget the great values of the Rhone valley white wines. White Rhone wines are also a great way to start the meal, and an alternative for the ABC (anything but chardonnay) crowd.
Over the years there have been super recipes using chestnuts, ciabatta bread and many other great ingredients. The old adage when working in the trade was to ”match the weight of the wine with the weight of the food." To that end, one of the most versatile wines that can be enjoyed is Pinot Noir. There is a great buzz about the quality of the 2008 vintage in Oregon. One suggestion would be the Bethel Heights Estate Pinot Noir 2008. The red fruit profile of strawberries, cranberries and raspberries with some earthy terrior is perfect for your Thanksgiving meal.
So remember these simple suggestions. Start with a crisp wine - too much residual sugar fools your mind into thinking that it’s being fed. Diversify - try a light to medium body red wine with your side dishes. Lastly - take a moment to enjoy a glass with your family and give thanks.
- By Michael Zanatta
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