Second week of pairing how you cook turkey with wine.
If you go citrus turkey route—lemons, oranges, grapefruit, lime—because you want to make your Williams-Sonoma flavor injector useful at least once a year, riesling is the wine to complement your moist, delicately flavored bird.
Do not pour the sweet plonk riesling of your youth; instead, taste the fabulous food-friendly dry or extra dry riesling of today. The Finger Lakes region of New York makes outstanding riesling, but if you can’t find that, Château Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen Eroica Riesling is widely available, nicely priced, and delicious. You also can go old school and sip something from Germany’s Mosel valley.
If you decide to go with turkey infused with sage, butter, and garlic because that is what your Betty Crocker cookbook tells you to do, you have delicious options. Sauvignon blanc goes with almost everything and certainly with this sage-under-the-turkey-skin decision. You also can be more aggressive with a cab-merlot blend. Blend is key. Cab alone is too assertive, but when merlot plays significant role, the blend will be merlot mellowed enough to play with sage-stuffed bird.
Finally, reassurance and comfort. The past two weeks presented wine-turkey pairing suggestions, but it is almost impossible to screw up Thanksgiving. There are so many foods on your table whatever you pour will pair with something. The meal is gathering of loved ones, friends. People can be snippy about pairings another day. Eat, drink, be merry while giving thanks for blessings God gifted you since the last time you gathered around your table together. Peace, my friends. Until the kickoff.
Tasting notes:
• Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Dry Riesling 2015: Deliciously balanced, vivid fruit. $9
• 19 Crimes Red Wine 2015: Bold commodity red, wide distribution. $10
• Viña Montes Classic Series Aconcagua Coast Sauvignon Blanc 2015: Citrus, light, crisp, superb value. $11
• Chateau Montelena Winery Potter Valley Riesling 2015: Lemon, grapefruit, lime pairs with citrus turkey. $22
• Ponzi Vineyards Classico Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2014: Smooth, elegant, superb pour. $43
Last round: I hope you do not mind the side dish that I brought to your Thanksgiving feast is several bottles of very good wine I will not share with you.
Email Gus at wine@cwadv.com. Facebook: Gus Clemens on Wine. Twitter: @gusclemens.