Thanksgiving is this weekend, and many of us are planning our menus and the wines. But rather than focus on the turkey, we’re going to pair wines with all those delicious side dishes.
Here with her tips is Maritimer Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com.
Welcome Natalie.
Before we dive into the sides, quick question: red or white for the turkey?
Let’s start with a classic Thanksgiving side dish – green beans. Which wine would you recommend?
Ah, green beans – the vegetable that makes us feel virtuous while we’re really just after that crispy onion topping or cream sauce. For this, I’d suggest a lightly sparkling wine to cut through the richness like this lovely Nova 7 from Benjamin Bridge in the Annapolis Valley.
Nova 7 Benjamin Bridge
Nova Scotia
This wine smells like walking through a peach grove with a touch of ocean spray. There’s something about sparkling wine that just says, “We’re here to have a good time, no matter what Aunt Carol says about your life choices.”
Bubbles are also perfect to make a toast and give thanks to the family and friends who gathered around the table, or to have a silent moment of gratitude that Thanksgiving only happens once a year.
That sounds like a perfect start to the meal. Now, what about sage and herbed stuffing?
For stuffing, we want a wine that can stand up to the herbal flavours without overpowering the delicate turkey, like the uncle who doesn’t talk over your cousin but really adds to the conversation. I have just the wine.
Lenz Moser Gruner Veltliner
Austria
This is Austria’s flagship white wine. It’s crisp and bursting with aromas of white pepper and lemongrass which is a perfect match for a stuffing, with sage and thyme. The wine’s zesty acidity also makes even the driest turkey made by the worst home cooks (!) taste juicy.
Moving on to some starchier sides, what would you recommend for mashed potatoes and creamed corn?
Comfort foods like creamed corn and cloud-whipped mashed potatoes feel like a warm hug for your tummy, so we need a wine that says don’t fall asleep at the table just yet like this Pelee Island Pinot Grigio from southwestern Ontario.
Pelee Island Pinot Grigio
Ontario V.Q.A., Canada
This wine is crisper than the autumn leaves you should have raked last weekend. Its vibrant notes of grapefruit and lime cut through the richness of these creamy dishes like a silver knife.
Plus, it’s a great palate cleaner to wash down any awkward conversations about your personal life. So refreshing!
Now, let’s talk about some of the bolder flavors on the Thanksgiving table – cranberry sauce. What wine would you suggest?
Now we’re getting to the real reason most of us enjoy Thanksgiving: we’re here to double down on cranberry sauce. Turkey is really the side dish. For these bold flavours, we need a wine that says ‘I’m here and you’re not done yet” like this gorgeous Caymus Napa Valley Zinfandel.
Caymus California Zinfandel
California
This wine, from the Wagner family, is bursting with aromas of plum, cherry and a whisper of smoke.
Jenny Wagner makes this wine from top parcels in Suisun which has a balancing effect, and enhances elegance and length of finish.
In fact, this wine is satisfying without making you feel like you need to unbutton your pants. Yet. Personally, I prefer an elastic waistband at this time of year.
What’s your final wine for us today?
Les Jamelles Cabernet Sauvignon
Vin de Pays d’Oc, France
This is a gorgeous, smooth, full-bodied red wine from the south of France. It’ll pair beautifully with gravy and dark turkey meat.
Natalie, these suggestions are fantastic! Any final words of wisdom for our viewers?
As we gather around the Thanksgiving table, remember: Wine is like a family – some are sweet, others are smooth, a little bit slippery, and then some are just downright nutty, but that’s okay because ultimately they all come together to make life taste better!
Cheers to a delicious Thanksgiving!
