Thanksgiving is about tradition more so than any other holiday. We look forward to sweet potatoes the way grandma made them, the indispensable green bean casserole and a dish of black olives that inevitably end up on someone’s fingers because they have holes in them and isn’t that what they’re for (or was that just in my house?).
Sticking with the theme of tradition for this food and wine pairing, I chose classic Old World regions for all but the cabernet sauvignon, which finds a beautiful New World home in Napa Valley.
Dessert is my favorite course and the sweet baking spice nose of Lustau East India Solera Sherry echoes the cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and cardamom that play key roles in apple and pumpkin pie. A little less traditional would be Bénédictine and brandy (aka B&B), a combination of a closely guarded liqueur made up of 27 plants and spices blended with French brandy. Again, the spice notes bridge this pairing in a truly synergistic way.
The versatile Thanksgiving bird shows up oven-baked, deep-fried and every method in between. What doesn’t change is its mild, lightly sweet flavor. Hailing from the classic region of Alsace France, René Sparr 2011 Pinot Gris brings enough acidity to the table to cut through the fat of standard cooking methods along with a hint of honey, spice and tropical flavors like peach and citrus. On the red spectrum we have a medium-bodied Louis Chavy 2010 Bourgogne Pinot Noir which complements the earthy and gamey characteristics of turkey with red fruit on the palate.
