The Best Wine for Thanksgiving
The challenge of fulfilling the expectations for the celebration of Thanksgiving always comes around this time every November of each year: What wine is it good to accompany traditional Thanksgiving meals? Let's face it, selecting a single wine for the table may not be enough, let's see why next.
The wisest choice would be a variety of wines according to the time of the meal in the Thanksgiving celebration, always keeping in mind, that selecting only a bottle of wins for the table, certainly, would not be enough for one or two dishes.
Appetizers are important too
Normally, some wine connoisseurs and most Master Sommeliers always have this premise; "You can't start a meal without a Champagne" and it's easy to understand why. The first meal sets the pace for the rest of the dinner’s energy, and nothing generates better vibes than champagne.
The traditional resource of buffet-style appetizers with a good sparkling wine works as a social entertainer. Champagne doesn't stop at creating the air of a special occasion, but blends beautifully with a wide range of foods and textures.
For example, some of the traditional and most common Thanksgiving appetizers often found accompanying a buffet-style banquet are amazing options to pair with champagne
- Stuffed eggs in contours
- Stuffed mushrooms
- Smoked salmon
- Popcorn
- Salted walnuts
According to wine connoisseurs, the incredible versatility of champagne can be attributed to the blending of different vintages for a well-balanced flavor and the right level of acidity, capable of cutting through the different flavors between tables and contours.
Sweet soups?
When it's time to sit down, a sublime fall soup, like roasted pumpkin soup or pear soup, create a more than welcoming atmosphere around the table. Pumpkins the classic go to during the traditional Thanksgiving feast, and a dry German Riesling is also a great option to show off delicate flavors.
Appropriate contours for all
Although there are lots of options on how to prepare proper contours for Thanksgiving food, all of them have one thing in common: rich creaminess. Thanksgiving Day’s contours steal the protagonist role in the show for many, and menus across the entire country offer variations on these culinary delicacies such as:
- Green bean casserole
- Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
- Corn pudding
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Asparagus with hollandaise sauce
Even if your guests are fans of these contours, serving that much at once runs the risk of running out food quickly. Giving diners a little sip of the cream will allow them to enjoy the dishes without hurries, so it is recommended to pair this dish with a wine that is strong enough to cut the richness on the tray, like a hot knife cuts butter.
In this way, guests can enjoy these contours without overwhelming their palates with so much flavor accumulated from the beginning.
An aged stainless Chardonnay remains at the top of the list of options with an unrivaled and dry quality capable of cleaning the flavor off the tray between shy bites. A selection of a Chardonnay keeps the body of the mineral wine light, in that way, contour dishes don’t have to compete for attention.
What options do we have for the turkey, the stuffing and the sauce?
The flavors and spirits continue to increase with the main meal, the stuffed turkey and a spoonful of cranberry sauce tend to be the center of the stage. Choose a worthy Thanksgiving wine for pairing with the main meal, since you want to complement the flavors of those foods and wines given the importance of the evening.
A Beaujolais is one of the best options that may suit your needs. This French red beauty is light and fruity, making it the perfect pairing for lighter meat, such as turkey, as well as the savory accent of sausage sprinkled throughout the filling. Notes of red berries complement the roast beef while maintaining a perfect balance with salinity and woody herbs.
Now it's the turn of the dessert
Traditional Thanksgiving desserts include sidebars garnished with puff pastry that mix with deep, caramelized flavors, crunchy apples, and candied walnuts. Check out this comprehensive list of the best pumpkin pie pairings.
Ports are traditional delicacies because it gives warmth to what is very sweet for a deep and complex flavor, causing guests to linger in each bite, enjoying particularly enthusiastic conversations, encouraging guests to share and enjoy the celebration with others.
There are many advantages in serving at each stage of the Thanksgiving event; nothing better than a wine perfectly paired with the respective moment of the celebration. Wines paired in the right way are powerful enough to improve sensations and satisfaction with food and thus allow us to establish the correct separation of each dish and its corresponding drink. Custom pairings can also result in unlimited flavors, so dishes don't routinely fall for repetitive flavors.
If a guest doesn't like the pairing of one dish, then they must wait for a new pairing that will get served later at the event. These traditional events are revitalized with these unique wine pairings that guarantee the Thanksgiving day to be an unforgettable evening, for all guests and their hosts.
Conclusions
With no doubts, the challenge of preparing an event with the traditional Thanksgiving celebration meals is always stressful, it requires planning and organization, but believe us, that if you manage to get things work and go right, then you and your guests will be happy and pleased with the outcome of the event.
Of course, this could not be achieved if a responsible and trustworthy wine shop like finding.wine would not exist, remember that in this wine store you can find expert advisors that can help you choosing the best wines for the incoming celebrations, as well as huge variety of wines with a wide range of prices, suitable for any kind of customer. With all these recommendations that we have shared with you, there is nothing left but to wish you a happy Thanksgiving and holiday, in general.
- Fabianni Posteraro