Each year there are hundreds of articles recommended wines for Thanksgiving. Year in and year out, wine professionals and winos claim to know the perfect combination for the Thanksgiving dinner. Why is Thanksgiving such a difficult meal to select wines for….a couple of reasons. First, while many of us enjoy turkey of the holiday, others feast on ham, duck, roast or lamb. The main dish can play a huge role in determining what wines to serve with your Thanksgiving dinner. Secondly, the variety of side dishes that accompany the meal. These range from sweet potatoes to stuffing to vegetables to fruit salad to your family’s traditional dish. At some point you begin to wonder, can I ever choose just one wine to go with all these flavors? Finally, think about your guests. Some like white, while others prefer red. How do you please both?

 

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I read the wine column in The Wall Street Journal each weekend, but I’ve kept a few around to share on my blog, along with my thoughts on the topic.

 

Italy’s Zinfandel Pretender

Genetically, Zinfandel, Primitivo and Crljenak Kastelanski are the same grape. Primitivo is the 12^th most popular grape in Italy and is mostly planted in Pugliaor the “boot-heel.” Scientific evidence of the connection between these grapes has existed for over a decade, yet labeling restrictions are complex. Some imports are labeled as Primitivo. While others are denoted as Zinfandel, and still others have both names on the bottle. Italians see a new market for their “Italian Zinfandel” and want to capitalize.

 

I’m a huge fan of the spicy, peppery, big Zinfandel. If I could drink Zinfandel for the rest of my life, I’d be happy! However, the Primitivo I’ve tasted in the past were more characteristic of jug wine than my favorite American Zinfandel. Primitivo was very fruit forward and flabby with hints of vanilla. I haven’t found one I truly enjoyed and would purchase again.

 

For 2009, a To-Do List for Wine

Since its still January, I thought it worth mentioning Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher’s suggestions for wine in 2009. I wrote a few of my thoughts along with their ideas.

 

*Try a wine from a different country

*Go to a wine bar and have a flight of wine

*Order the cheapest wine on a restaurant’s wine list

*Open a sparkler at home for no reason at all (I like this idea! Too often we think there has to be a special occasion for Champagne or sparkling wine. I think I’ll try this more often)

*Take notes on a fine wine from beginning to end

*Have a Sauternes (Since we’re headed to Bordeaux in a few weeks, I think I can take care of this one. Sauternes is a sub-region within Bordeaux and produces a sweet wine.)

*Organize your labels (This was one of my New Year’s Resolution’s. Jonathan has really been the go getter on this project, but I’m hoping to become more motivated!)

*Visit the closest winery to your home (We researched this and plan to head that way in the spring. Granted, it’s Illinois wine, but it should be fun to visit.)

*Attend a winemaker’s dinner at a restaurant

*Have fun with stemware (We received some wonderful Bordeaux glasses for Christmas so we’ve been “testing” them out. We’ve been extra careful not to break them in the dishwasher!)

*Find a new wine store (http://wine.woot.com/ – Thanks Andy!)

*Try a varietal you’ve never had from a U.S. winery

*Either: Have 12 different bottles in the house at once (Pretty standard in our house.)

*Or drink up (Again….pretty standard.)

*Go crazy on a wine pairing for dinner some night

*Try an older white

*Try a type of wine you think you don’t like (I did this last night! I tried a white from Bordeaux. I’m usually not much of a white drinker, but I needed white wine for the meal I cooked. I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the bottle!)

*Get a new corkscrew

*Serve a dessert wine to guests

*Shatter your price limit (Going to Paris, this should be pretty easy!)

 

Nouveau: The Comeback Continues

A November favorite, Beaujolais Nouveau is turning a corner. For several years, this wine celebrated a new harvest and grew in popularity, as did the price. While the price grew the quality of wine declined, sending consumers in a different direction. In 2007, winemakers regained focus improving quality and dropping the price back to a reasonable number. The 2008 production continued the trend, but winemakers must work to repair the damage of previous sub-par years. Winemakers are thinking creatively to market their wines. Georges Duboeuf received permission from the French government to ship his wine by boat, thus lowering the price of his wine and the carbon foot print caused by transportation.

 

This was the first year I bought into the Beaujolais craze. I did buy a bottle to drink with our Thanksgiving meal. While, it’s not something I would drink everyday. It’s light, fruity and pairs nicely with turkey. It’s made from the Gamay grape and is harvested just a few months earlier so it’s a very young wine. Beaujolaisshould not be cellared but drink it immediately.

I’ve been a bit of a slacker when it comes to my blogs recently. My husband’s parents visited last weekend till Tuesday, and then the holidays were upon us. I’m hoping to get back into the swing of things this week. However, I have tried a few tasty wines within the past week.

 

Txomin Etxaniz produces wines in the Basque region of Spain. The native grapes grown in their vineyards include Hondarrabi Zuri and Hondarrabi Beltza. We tasted a white wine at a recent tasting, and thought it similar to many whites from the Rhone region in France, dry with hints of floral on the nose.

 

Another interesting wine, we tasted was a 2006 Bourgogne Pinot Noir. This wine presented characteristics very standard for a Pinot Noir in color and smell. However, the taste was extremely intense and well-rounded. I found this wine delightful, and I’m not usually much of a Pinot Noir drinker.

 

Finally, I tasted my first glass of Beaujolais Nouveau, an annual Thanksgiving tradition.  Beaujolais Nouveau is released the third Thursday of November and is only six weeks old. Grown from Gamay grapes, Beaujolais Nouveau is fruity, light-bodied and nearly tannin-free. It smells extremely sweet, bursting with fruits; however, it’s dry and light to the taste. Bottles are inexpensive, ranging in price from $6-$15. However, Jonathan thought the bottle was a bit flamboyant for wine.