Wine plays a very important part at Thanksgiving dinner, especially when it consists of so many different flavors. Our General Manager and Wine Director Jim from Spuntino Clifton shares his top wine pairings for a complete Thanksgiving dinner!
A Perfect Start
Sparkling wines are the perfect way to start your meal. Breezzette Rosé comes to mind with bold aromas of tropical peach, apricot and crispy acidity which compliments spicy aromatic dishes and grilled seafood appetizers. If sparkling is not your thing, then Riesling would be the white wine you should start your dinner with. Riesling wine can either be really dry or fairly sweet and will pair well with spicy, salty or sweet dishes. There are a few that would be recommended, Joh. Jos. Prum Auslese from Germany being one of them. This Riesling starts with full and fruity flavors and ends with fine and crisp acidity asking you to get one more bite of that sweet potato dish, turkey or stuffing. Gewurtztraminer and Albarino present a good alternative to Reisling or you can stick to your favorite Sauvignon Blanc, Arkenstone from Napa Valley being my favorite. All of them are crisp with citrus based flavors & will partner well with anything on the table.
The Classic Pairings
There are many people who just want to stay with red wine from start to finish, and for those diners I would recommend a fuller bodied red Syrah/Shiraz, be that Saint Joseph from Rhone Valley, Standish Shiraz from Australia, Zinfandel, and if you like to try something new, Beaujolais Nouveau might be a thing for you. Lastly, Pinot Noir with earthly undertones for sure is an easy go-to for a traditional wine pairing for Thanksgiving dinner with lots of selections from Oregon and Bergstrom. ‘Cumberland Reserve’ from Willamette Valley will definitely fulfil that role.
Things to Note
Any of the white wines mentioned would pair well with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce as well as pinot noir from the red wines. You can also use any bubbles for the desserts, in this case Brezzette Rose should do it.
