No Rules
A logical thought process might lead to the conclusion that white wine is the proper choice for Thanksgiving, to wit: Turkey is white meat, therefore you should serve white wine with it, right? Not necessarily. Cacophony is the dominant culinary characteristic on that special day. Yes, there's turkey, but there's also rich dressing and dark gravy and sweet candied yams and buttery mashed potatoes and creamy green bean casserole and tart cranberries, plus salads and Brussels sprouts and rolls and cornbread, followed by several kinds of pies. Yikes!There is good news and bad news in all this from a wine standpoint. The bad news is that the simple white wine with turkey rule won't really work. The good news is that you have no rules. What you do have is a myriad of great choices, and since you'll probably have a crowd, you can mix, match and sample to your heart's content.
At our family feast we serve a wide variety of wines, red, white and in between, brought by different members of the family. We taste while we cook, we taste while we eat, we taste while we digest and we discuss and debate the merits of what we are drinking. That process has become almost as much fun as the feast itself.
Here are some ideas for wines that will complement your Thanksgiving feast. A few of them (marked with an asterisk) are from our previous columns. All, of course, are Great Wine Bargains, which means they are widely available and usually retail for less than $15 a bottle. May you have much to be thankful for this holiday season. Cheers!
White Wines
Whites have their place, but I prefer the more assertive whites like crisp Sauvignon Blanc or off-dry Rieslings. I've also included a couple of Chardonnays for those who can't survive without them.
 |  | 2005 Babich Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand) Clean, intense grapefruity taste with perfect balance. |
 | | 2004 Casa Lapostolle, Cuvée Alexandre Chardonnay (Chile) Soft and creamy with vibrant honeyed flavors. |
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2004 Pepperwood Grove Chardonnay (California) Light, smoky, butterscotch scents with rich, round caramel-apple and passion fruit flavors. |
 | | 2005 Dr. L, Riesling (Germany) Luscious pear flavors with a touch of peach nectar in this slightly sweet and absolutely delicious bargain. |
Rosés and Light Reds
We love these wines lightly chilled, and we serve them after the white wines or while we cook to make us happy. These are always popular at Thanksgiving or any other time at our house. Just enough fruit and backbone to stand up to some of the powerful flavors of this meal.
 | | 2005 A to Z Rosé (Oregon) Flavors of strawberries and apple pie with a touch of cinnamon. |
 | | 2004 Beaujolais-Villages by Georges Duboeuf (France) Tastes like crushed strawberries with a hint of lavender. |
 | | 2005 Morgon "Jean Descombes" by Georges Duboeuf (France) A deeper, richer Beaujolais with flavors of strawberries muddled with cherry brandy and rose petals. |
2006 Beaujolais-Nouveau (France)
These fresh, fruity and inexpensive wines should reach your local merchant the weekend before Thanksgiving. We love them at our house, especially at holiday time. Ask your merchant to recommend one for you to try.
Big, Rich Reds
This category always gets the most attention at our home, and these are lovely choices for Thanksgiving.
 | | 2004 Gnarly Head Zinfandel (California) Perfect American heritage Thanksgiving wine with peppery dark berry flavors with a touch of vanilla. |
 | | 2004 Terrazas de los Andes Malbec Reserva (Argentina) A real bargain with deep, dark fruit flavors with hints of coconut and violets. |
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2004 Chalone Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (California) Highly fruity cherry-berry flavors with a tasty tang. |
 | | 2004 Mark West Pinot Noir, Appellation Vin de Corse (California) Actually, the winemaker is from California and the grapes are from Corsica in this nice wine with red fruit flavors and touches of coffee, smoke and spice. |
Dessert Wines
You need something to serve with that pumpkin pie, right? We love dessert wines at our house and often sip them instead of dessert! But these recommendations are a good match with many of the wide variety of pies and other goodies you're planning to serve on Thanksgiving Day.
 | | 2005 Nivole, Moscato D'Asti, Michele Chiarlo (Italy) Light as air with vibrant peach and honeysuckle flavors and tiny, sparkling bubbles. Great alone or with light fruit desserts. Note that this comes in half bottles at less than $10. |
 | | Sandeman Tawny Porto (Portugal) Intense dried red fruit flavors and subtle sweetness with a touch of tea and a firm backbone of alcohol. Good with most desserts or by itself. |
 | | Hartley & Gibson's Cream Sherry (Spain) Rich taste of caramel apples and toast with nice balance. This could be the perfect pumpkin pie wine -- and it is quite a bargain. |
Final Note
If you do the tasting regime our family follows, be sure to have a designated driver who sips lightly. And don't forget to give thanks, certainly for your family and for the great country we are privileged to live in.