For many people, a variety of items and high expectations come with the approaching holidays. A complex wine with layers versus a brutish-straight–forward wine will lend itself well to various dishes and palates. Note the job of food and wine pairing. Nothing is better than the first bite of food; after that, the palate is coated and the flavor of the next bite is not as intense. The job of wine is to clear the palate and make sure every bite is as good as the first. So, the wine should be slightly heavier and a bit more acidic than the food that it is paired with, with the end result being food and wine combining to become a third flavor. Wines that are slightly tannic and acidic use food for balance.
Appetizers
How about an Aperitif’ … French aperitif aperient, from Middle French aperitif: an alcoholic drink taken before a meal as an appetizer.
Dry Sherries (soup friendly) Sherry Fino, Dry Amontillado. Kir or Kir Royal Champagne Any dry wine, usually white or Champagne.
The Meal
Turkey is often confused with chicken when it comes to food and wine pairing. Actually, the turkey is much closer to a game bird and should be treated accordingly.
Bordeaux/Cabernet blends and the classic Zinfandel are great for game birds, but try something a little different.
The Cabernet Sauvignon grape’s parents are 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Sauvignon Blanc. The flavor components that these wines offer are perfect with a wide range of foods so the sides go well with the wines and also with the turkey itself. I have both a white and a red at each side of my plate. Some examples of “good” Cabernet Franc (if you cannot find these, any Cabernet Franc with medium body, good fruit, and some acidity will do).Chinon AC [shee-NOHN] Located in the Touraine area, Chinon is one of the few villages in the Loire valley focused on red wines, which some wine lovers feel are the Loire’s best. Like its neighbors Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-De-Bourgueil, this picturesque village with its medieval hilltop fortress grows Cabernet Franc (known locally as Brenton) and minor amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon. Although, normally light and fruity with a heady raspberry aroma, these red wines have enough body to age a few years.
Sauvignon Blanc (Sauvignon Blanc with medium body, some fruit, and good acidity). Everyone knows that New Zealand makes great Sauvignon Blanc but most of the styles are too fruity to pair with a Thanksgiving meal. We offer several examples of “balanced” Sauvignon Blanc for the occasion!
If you are enjoying Cornish hen or other birds, these pairing should be great!
Pinot Noir is the perfect choice for ANYTHING! From ham’s smokiness and complex flavor to yard-bird and even “stone soup!”
For the high-end adventurer: Pinot Noir, Domaine Serene
Your Desserts
Cheese The simplest way to pair cheese is to consider the ‘style’ of cheese being used. Creamy, runny cheeses need a dry somewhat tannic wine to give them some structure and hard cheeses tend to need wines that have more fruit and soft edges. Big acidic or tannic wines match best with soft cheese. Fruity or “sweet” wines match best with hard cheeses. Fruity & sweet white wines and dessert wines work best with a wider range of cheeses. Champagne can work with the fat in heavy cheese. Sherries, Ports and dessert wines are great for blue cheese.
Apple Pie with its bright fruit and tart acidity, apple pie is actually a difficult pairing. The old term ‘buy wine with apples and sell wine with cheese’ is true. After much research, I have found the perfect match. Any ‘real’ sherry with medium sweetness should work well. As the cheese robs the fruit from the wine.
Pumpkin Pie With the dense creamy flavor of pumpkin pie a botrytized or late harvest fits quite nicely.
Chocolate anything! Chocolate is a very strong flavor, and dark chocolate works best with most wine. Consider flavors that complement (lemon, apple, orange, caramel) rather than compete when it comes to this type of pairing. Tawny Ports and ‘Late harvest’ tends to work best. Late Harvest Pinot Gris, Riesling, Hardys Whiskers Blake Tawny 8 Year Old Port, 10 year old, NV, 20 year old, or LBV
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