Wine and Food Pairing for Thanksgiving

I am already in training for the big Thanksgiving holiday feast coming this year on Thursday November 22^nd. By that I mean I am hitting the gym and going to light salads and bran, and tasting a lot of wines. I usually buy the wines on the big day. My family expects that, being that I am a wine writer. I journey out to Dallas-Fort Worth where wine is more of a curiosity. I haven’t found a “lone-star” wine that I could enjoy, so it winds up being a cross-cultural selection of wine and beer at the table.

So, for those undecided types, here is a wine-food 101 check list of pairing for the food feast. For soups, salads, light pasta and mild seafood, chicken and turkey, serve: Unaoked Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, most Italian whites like Pinot Grigio, German Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc.

For full flavor seafood, chicken and turkey, game birds, veal and mild cheeses: serve full-bodied whites like Oaked Chardonnay( shown in the photo courtesy of Farrari Carano), White Burgundy, Pinot Gris, Roses and my favorite white…Viognier.

For rich-bodied pasta, rich varieties of seafood, fruit-based pork, veal and rich cheeses: serve reds like Bordeaux, Cab Franc, Sangiovese, Chianti, Rhone blends, Grenache, Merlot and Pinot Noir.

For heavy-bodied tomato meat sauce pasta with sharp cheeses, duck, game birds, herbed pork/veal, beef steaks, stews, ribs: try Italian Barbaresco or Barolo, Brunello, Rhone Valley reds, Cabernets, Syrah/Shiraz, Malbec and Zinfandel.

If you were looking for my favorite red in that grouping, I really can’t focus in on one. I enjoy several Zindfandels, Cabs, Barolos, Sangioveses ( especially Brunellos) and Syrahs. Let’s go to the next article and spotlight a few.

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