Thanksgiving is actually my favorite holiday of the year. My mom and I start planning for it in October, and this year she, Susan and I will be cooking for almost 30 people. We will have a delicious 16 pound Maple Lawn Farms Turkey, Oyster Stuffing, Apple Sauce and my three day gravy. This year we’ll have new babies that have entered our family in the last year, and several that will join us next year.

So that all brings us to what wines we will be serving for the flavors as diverse as white and dark meat, cranberries, roasted vegetables, a diverse range of stuffings, pecan and apple pie. This list alone will make a sommelier melt, and if you then add marshmallows, brussel sprouts and the other accoutrements, most sommeliers will then just collapse from the pressure.

Well, since I have been asked for the last several weeks what i.m.Wine will be recommending for Thanksgiving, I thought I’d give you some thoughts and recommendations on what to serve to survive Thanksgiving in style.

As many of you know I like Champagne with just about everything. I thank Andrea Immer, M.S. for that one. The Rose and Blanc de Noir have the body and acidity to go with almost any dish you can throw at them.

We have chosen all the whites for their beautiful acidity and bright fruits. As you see there are two from Alsace—a beautiful dry Riesling, and the fragrant Gewurztraminer. The Gruner Veltliner from Austria is one of the great under-appreciated food wines of the world, and finally a delicious off-dry Riesling from Germany.

The reds are also chosen for their bright acidity and soft tannin structure so they won’t overpower the lightness of the white meat, or the heaviness of the dark meat. We start with a Cru Beaujolais, a Pinot Noir from New Zealand, a bright Dolcetto from Italy, and finally the all American red Zinfandel.

We have also given you choices I thought I’d call the Nixonian version of the list. If you don’t know what this means; at state dinners President Nixon would be drinking Chateau Margaux while his guest did not drink nearly so well. We’ll we thought we’d try and solve this problem, and recommend wine that would be great for a crowd, but if you want to splurge, we give you that option.

We will be tasting these wines starting on Friday and ending on Wednesday.

Champagne

Gruet Blanc de Noirs (New Mexico, USA)
A sparkling wine from New Mexico?  Yes! Rich complex flavors with amazing berry aromas and the creamy texture play a leading role and create a great finesse. With an aggressive mousse and lovely fruit this wine offers plenty of immediate charm and toasty aromas.
Price: $15.99            Case: $13.59

Lucien Albrecht Brut Rose (Alsace, France)
The Lucien Albrecht Rose Brut is an antique rose to salmon pink color with a clear appearance going out into a faint, almost glass-clear meniscus with medium-high viscosity. On the nose, the immediate burst of strawberry and raspberry fruit is lively with hints of red currants, cranberry, toast, and good, firm minerality. On the palate, there are generous notes of freshly crushed red fruits and lovely effervescence. The mid-palate is soft and rounded, going into a superbly balanced finish.
Price: $18.99            Case $16.14

 

Splurge:

Pol Roger Brut “Cuvee de Reserve” NV (Champagne, France)
Pol Roger is a Grande Marque Champagne, and one of only a few Grande Marque Champagne houses still completely family owned and operated, Pol Roger was established in Epernay in 1849 by Pol Roger.  A pale gold colour with a very fine bead and a flowery, delicately toasty aroma with fruit and complexity.  Rich and creamy, beautifully balanced with a dry, harmonious finish.
Price: $44.99            Case (6):$33.99 (Lowest price in the state by more than 10%

Laurent-Perrier Cuvee Rose Brut (Champagne, France)
This salmon-pink rosé Champagne is truly remarkable for its highly expressive bouquet, stemming from very careful preservation of fresh fruit aromas which occur during the winemaking. Bright, fresh and intense, with notes of raspberries, strawberries and black cherries. The first impression on the palate is that of fresh fruit, followed by a full-bodied yet elegant mouth-feel and wonderfully lingering finish.  The Cuvée Rosé Brut makes a delicious aperitif. It pairs very well with pork or poultry, and is an extraordinary match for red fruit desserts. The most audacious may even pair it with Asian cuisine.
Price: $69.99            Case (6) $59.49

Whites

2005 Riesling, Albert Seltz (Alsace, France)
Albert Seltz is passionate about wine. And he should be- he comes from thirteen generations of winemakers in Mittelbergheim. At the age of nineteen, Seltz took over his father’s business, abandoning his plans to become a professional skier. Fanatical about honesty and originality in vinification, his grapes are hand-picked at various selection times to gain the maximum flavor for each grape varietal.   Made from 20 year old vineyards in Mittelbergheim; following pressing, these hand-harvested grapes are fermented in stainless steel with minimal intervention at the winery, using natural yeasts. Lemon aromas give way to beautiful acidity with great length.
Price: $13.99   Case $11.89

2006 Riesling Kabinett, Niersteiner, J & H.A. Strub
The J & H. A. Strub estate is located in the small town of Nierstein (Nierstein area) in the Rheinhessen wine-growing region in Germany. It was founded in 1710. Walter Strub, the eleventh generation of the family to work here, first completed his oenological studies at the college in Geisenheim, and gained practical experience at the Simi Winery in Napa in California, before taking over the estate in 1985. Zesty lemons and limes are interspersed with liquid minerals in this light to medium-bodied wine's aromas. Buttered stones, popcorn, slate, red currants, and crisp pears can be found in its lively yet rich character.
Price: $19.99 Case: $16.99

2006 Gruner Veltliner “Steingrund” Leth (Wagram, Austria)
Franz Leth’s 80-acre estate, planted on loess terraces north of the Danube, contain some of the best Gruner available. The 2005 Steinagrund smells of fresh lime and roasted coffee and lentil. Glossy, medium-weight and attractively bright in the mouth, a fine ripe fruit impression leads to an invigorating finish with pungent green herbs, salty minerality, and low-toned coffee and lentil flavors.
Price: $16.99            Case: $14.44

2004 Gewurztraminer, Hugel (Alsace, France)
Who doesn’t love Gewurztraminer! I especially love this one from Hugel, one of the oldest families in Alsace where the first traces of this historical winemaking family can be traced back to the 15^th century! This grape is the great specialty of Alsace where its’ aromatic expressiveness attains wild summits. Spicy and suave, it can be enjoyed on its own, but makes a marvelous accompaniment to all rich, spicy dishes.
Price: $19.99   Case $16.99

Splurge:

1999 Pinot Gris “Heimbourg” Domaine Zind-Humbrecht (Alsace, France)
Caramel, brown sugar, peaches, and apricots make up the nose of the 2000 Pinot Gris Heimbourg Selection de Grains Nobles. A wide, lush, intense wine of enormous depth (9 hectoliter per hectare yields), it bastes the palate with jammy peaches, apricots, plums, and spices. This exceptionally well-balanced effort reveals a magnificently long, flavorful finish.
Price: $39.99            Case: $33.99

2005 Riesling, Domaine Zind-Humbrecht (Alsace, France)
It is stunning to see the concentration, depth, breadth, and length of the 2005 Riesling, particularly when one knows it was produced from 7 year old vines. Honeyed minerals and creamed spices make up this effort’s aromatic profile. Creamy-textured, medium-bodied, and harmonious, it coats the taster’s palate with loads of sensual layers of soft minerals and poached pears.
Price: $39.99            Case: $33.99

2006 Viognier, Cuilleron (Rhone, France)
This wine possesses lots of definition, a pronounced mineral character, and lavish quantities of honeysuckle, apricot/peach, and tropical fruit. A superb Viognier, it displays full body, outstanding purity, and a luscious mouth-feel.
Price: $29.99            Case: $25.49

Rose

2005 Etude Rose
Tony Soter has been making consistently good Pinot Noir in Napa Valley for many years, and his Pinot Noir rose has been just as good.  The 2006 has a beautiful pale pink color with vibrant and juicy aromas of just-picked strawberries and sweet oranges. Lush flavors of strawberries and pomegranate carry over on the palate and lead to a long, satisfying finish.
Price: $17.99            Case: $15.29

Reds

2005 Pascal Granger Julienas (Beaujolais, France)
Ripe, precise raspberry and blackberry scents are suavely accented by violet and white pepper. Then lush and weighty on the palate, with ripe dark berry compote flavors, soft tannins and gentle acid lift on the long, juicy finish. This is a distinctly ripe, fleshy wine, with the concentration to pair with heartier fare.
Price: $19.99   $16.99

2006 Pinot Noir, Sherwood Vineyards (Marlborough, New Zealand)
An elaborately fragrant yet balanced nose of cherry and vanilla and cola rises effortlessly from the glass. In the mouth, the 2006 truly show its complexity and balance. Sweet red cherry, light barrel spices, a touch of herb and earth. Spry acidity and youthful soft tannins showcase the forward flavors, yet the overall balance shows admirable restraint and elegance.
Price: $16.99 Case Price: $14.44

2005 Santa Duc, Les Villes Vignes, Santa Duc (Rhone Valley, France)
Yves Gras of Domaine Santa Duc is a legendary producer of Gigondas, and has bottled for us this old-vines cuvée of Côtes du Rhône. The Vieilles Vignes is a blend of fruit from 40 year old vines from Gigonda's neighboring villages of Vacqueyras (25%), Rasteau (25%), Seguret (25%) and Rouaix (25%), although it is technically a Côtes du Rhône Villages, as it comes from the best designated villages in the appellation.  The blend is 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah, and 5% Mourvèdre with the fruit being harvested very late - sûr maturité (super ripe) and as is traditional, this cuvée is all tank made - with no destemming and is bottled unfiltered
Price: $14.99   Case $12.74

2005 Dolcetto d’Alba, Fratelli Revello (Piedmonte, Italy)
Fratelli’s 2005 Dolcetto d’Alba is a stylish effort, boasting notable concentration in its expression of sweet red fruit, raspberries and spices, along with the floral, herbal notes that are typical of the wines of Verduno. A persistent underlying note of minerality gives the wine terrific balance as well as a clean, fresh finish.
Price: $17.99 Case: $15.29

2006 Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel (California)
This outstanding wine (made from a 110-year old vineyard) offers an impressively pigmented ruby/purple color, and sweet, intense black cherry liqueur-like notes in the penetrating bouquet. As the wine sits in the glass, minerals, pepper, spice, and coffee scents emerge. Rich, with sensational purity and flavor intensity, this full-bodied, multi-layered wine coats the palate, and has a 30+ second finish.
Price: $16.99   Case $14.44

Splurge:

2006 Adelsheim Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, OR)
This is lovely Oregon pinot noir: intense, redolent of wild cherries and raspberries and silken in texture. Everything has come together seamlessly: a classically cool Oregon vintage in 2006 that delivered pure fruit flavors and refreshing natural acidity; hands-off, purist winemaking; obviously superb raw material.   Bold, spicy scents of candied red cherries are found in the mouth-watering aromas of the 2003 Pinot Noir Goldschmidt Vineyard. A powerful, medium to full-bodied wine, it is jam-packed with red fruits (mostly syrupy cherries), and displays admirable concentration as well as depth. A note of lead shaving can be detected in the finish.
Price: $32.99            Case $28.04

2000 Barbera d’Asti “Bricco dell’Uccellone”, Giacomo Bologna
The late Giacomo Bologna made some of Italy's most flamboyant and dramatic Barberas. The 2000 Barbera Bricco dell'Uccellone is from an opulent, dramatically rich vintage and is an example of what viscosity and depth can be obtained from this grape. Both wines display dark, nearly black/purple colors and huge perfumes of smoke, toast, herbs, and black fruits, as well as evidence of aging in new oak casks.
Price: $69.99            Case: $59.49

2004 Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Chateau de Beaucastel
The 2004 Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape is a wine of considerable richness, tremendous intensity, and impressive definition and length. Usually a blend of 40% Mourvedre, 40% Grenache, and the rest Syrah, Counoise, and other varietals, the 2004 shows a dense purple color to the rim and a big, sweet nose of licorice, blackberries, pepper, Asian tea, spice, and a balsamic note. The wine has fabulous richness, great freshness, full body, and sweet, velvety-textured tannins.
Price: $84.99            Case (6) $67.99

2005 Frog’s Leap Zinfandel (Napa Valley, CA)
Aromas of cinnamon and clove underscore the nuanced flavors of dried cranberries while lush layers of cherry and boysenberry delight the palate without the subtler notes of oak and earth overwhelming.   Bright acid balances soft yet firm tannins resulting in a lush, lingering finish.
Price: $30.99            Case $26.34