Family, Feast, and Fine Wines: My Top Three Picks for Thanksgiving Celebration
Thanksgiving!! It’s one of my favorite holidays, but it can come with a daunting list of tasks to complete. Once again, my brother and sister-in-law graciously offered to host Thanksgiving for our family. With a new baby as well as three other kiddos at home, this is no small feat for them, and truly exhibits their commitment to family.
Family Recipes and the Wine that Binds
Everyone in our family has their customary dishes and areas of responsibility for the holiday meal. My mom will bring her sweet potatoes, my sister will bring her mashed potatoes, and my wife will bake pies. I get off pretty easy in this exchange, because my traditional contribution has been to supply the wine.
This year I thought I would share the three bottles that will feature at our Thanksgiving and throughout the holiday season. All are available on the wine list at Claude’s Prime Seafood in the restaurant or for carry out.
The Red to Raise Spirits: The Withers In Hand Blend
Let’s start with a red. The Withers In Hand ($67) is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre. For a holiday wine, you’ll want something that will work for a lot of palates. This blend does a little bit of everything. The Syrah brings a little bit of body, but not so much that it’ll put anybody off. The Mourvedre brings a nice bit of spice to keep things interesting, and the Grenache packs some fruit to keep everybody happy. This’ll work with turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing, but the thing that it’ll work best with is meal prep. Don’t forget to pour a glass while you’re cooking!
A White with Whimsy: Groth Chardonnay’s Ensemble of Flavors
On to white! How do these tasting notes sound: citrus, pineapple, dried apple, tangerine, pastry dough, biscotti, lemon curd, nutmeg? Reading reviews of the Groth Chardonnay ($84), you can almost hear the reviewers breathlessly searching for more flavor descriptors! The Growth sees some oak, but not so much that it’s beautiful fruit flavors get overpowered. While this is NOT a sweet wine, it has enough fruit and toasty flavors to get even your most entrenched “sweet drinkers” to give it a shot.
Celebratory Bubbles: Drappier Carte d’Or Champagne
What’s a celebration without some bubbles? The Drappier Carte d’Or Champagne ($125) is a great Champagne for the holidays because it has a great rich, full body a more flavor than you can expect to find in many comparably priced Champagnes. While there are some fruit flavors present (Stone fruit, Apple, Apricot), where the Drappier truly shines is in is secondary flavors: think nutty and biscuity.
Whichever wines you take to your holiday parties, remember that any wine can shine when it’s shared with family and friends.
Beyond the Pour: Tannin Tales
Get ready to demystify the world of wine! The next edition of Beyond the Pour: Wine Essentials with Jon dives into the first of five core elements of wine – Tannins. We’ll explore their intriguing role in wine’s flavor and texture, and even pair some high-tannin wines with mouthwatering dishes.