WINES FOR THANKSGIVING: Picks From 10 Winemakers & Experts

**Scroll down for picks & tips on picking the best wine for Thanksgiving from winemakers and wine experts**

Thanksgiving is the clusterf*ck of wine holidays. Pardon the language, no other word adequately describes the delusion that your carefully chosen wines will ever pair up with their intended dish. Most people usually just grab the closest bottle, destroying your subtle unoaked chardonnay with jalapeño cornbread. And the expensive Pinot you were saving for the main course? Yeah, Uncle Billy has a corkscrew too. That was gone before the salad.

So, forget the idea that there is a perfect wine buying strategy. All the Best Wines For Thanksgiving articles offer conflicting advice, and the idea that everyone in America should be hunting down the same ten bottles is ridiculous. What the holiday does offer the casual wine lover is a good learning opportunity. There's a wider variety of bottles on your table than most other nights, and with a little attention you'll come away with at least one wine/food pairing to remember, and one to avoid.

Developing a relationship with a wine store is always one of your best bets. They know the wines and will get to know your preferences. For Thanksgiving, they will usually ask whether you want only U.S. wines or if other countries are acceptable. Be a patriot, or a slave to your palate -- the choice is yours. But since the trend seems to be European now, I asked some American winemakers (many of whom are also organic and biodynamic), and some wine-loving friends, which of their wines they'd be serving and about their own Thanksgiving traditions.

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Rosés and Carignanes (Coturri Rosé 2009, Carignane Testa Vineyards 2008)

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Tony Coturri of Coturri Winery: For those who love his wines, no holiday meal is complete without a Zinfandel from Coturri. Winemaker Tony Coturri, however, will be reaching for some of his other bottles. "The Coturri Rosé 2009 is my first choice. It's more full bodied than most. It's got more grip to work with the turkey." Surely then, a Zinfandel would be his next choice? "I'll also be serving the Carignane Testa Vineyards 2008. It will match almost any type of dinner people are doing." And for those of us who want the Zinfandel? "The Coturri Estate Zinfandel 2007 is a better match for something with hot peppers or strong flavors. It needs a little more creativity to go with it." Coturri's wines have been featured at the James Beard House Thanksgiving dinners for the past few years.

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Tony Coturri of Coturri Winery: For those who love his wines, no holiday meal is complete without a Zinfandel from Coturri. Winemaker Tony Coturri, however, will be reaching for some of his other bottles. "The Coturri Rosé 2009 is my first choice. It's more full bodied than most. It's got more grip to work with the turkey." Surely then, a Zinfandel would be his next choice? "I'll also be serving the Carignane Testa Vineyards 2008. It will match almost any type of dinner people are doing." And for those of us who want the Zinfandel? "The Coturri Estate Zinfandel 2007 is a better match for something with hot peppers or strong flavors. It needs a little more creativity to go with it." Coturri's wines have been featured at the James Beard House Thanksgiving dinners for the past few years.

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Comments

[LookingToHelp]

12:38 PM on 11/17/2010

Live in South Jersey and went out to Napa in preparation for Thanksgiving back in September. Went to Mumm to get their Sparking Red Pinot Noir just for dinner. During the day, we'll also be having Sonoma Curtre Chardonnay.

Last year we served a Reserve Syrah from Columbia Crest that I thought was out of this world. It wasn't that expensive either.

My family is not that into wine so we'll also be picking up a couple of bottles of Nouveau Beaujolais. It'll keep them happy.

Someone below wanted the name of a good Pinot Noir. I like Schug from Carneros.

[GerryS]

01:23 PM on 11/16/2010

Torrontes, Rieslings and Gewurtz, dry Roses, Pinot Noir, some lighter bodied Zins are my choices---------

[mediamarv]

01:46 AM on 11/15/2010

Go to your nearest Trader Joe's. Look for any Napa Valley Red in the $8.99 range... for whites, get the Vintage TJs Sauvignon Blanc, also from Napa and made by St. Supery (shhh!). It costs $5.99. These wines are made by major producers but they are overruns, wine left over when the bottling is finished, or in some cases, they just want to empty tanks and sell it in bulk to TJ for whom they bottle and label.
Ask for the lastest "hustle" wine which describes a new arrival, in short supply and with a price that means it will go fast.
I live near Coturri winery, enjoy their wines but it isn't necessary to spend that much to get a very satisfactory wine that will enhance the turkey day festivities!!

[medon]

12:08 AM on 11/15/2010

How about 2005 Cabernet SESQUIPEDALIAN from Cole-Bailey OR their ‘Otter's Road Trip Red’ referring to the owner's past life as the Otter in Animal House. Road Trip is plinthy – like flinty only more so, and has great bootique – tastes as good going down as it does coming back up

[RRonin]

10:50 PM on 11/14/2010

Since there were no prices listed, I assume everything was over $25.00 a bottle. In these hard times it would be nice if you dedicated a post to good wines under $10.00.

[genrel1248]

10:04 PM on 11/14/2010

A little bit o' Night Train will cure what ails ya.

[Asmodean1]

09:25 PM on 11/14/2010

What could be the closest match for a Turkey??

Rex Goliath
The 47 pound rooster!!

Gobble Gobble till ya Wobble.

[hottingers]

07:08 PM on 11/14/2010

Don't foget about a nice 1972 Ripple.

[PeggyCurtis Meissner]

06:19 PM on 11/14/2010

Coturri wines are simply the best!

[bubbuh]

05:10 PM on 11/14/2010

If you're going to eat a lot of turkey, you're gonna fall asleep anyway. Don't spend big on wine

If you want a nice inexpensive wine, go with a Gewürztraminer. It's heady and aromatic scent is easy for both beginners and the experienced to enjoy. Plus, it blends extremely well with the many tastes of the Thanksgiving banquet table.
http://www.winepros.org/wine101/grape_profiles/gewurz.htm

[foxencanyon]

06:24 PM on 11/14/2010

Or a gruner veltliner.

[bubbuh]

06:39 PM on 11/14/2010

Thanks for the tip.  Haven't run across it here in the States; but, I'll make a point of trying to track a bottle or two down  for this Thanksgiving.

[Chicagowill]

09:26 PM on 11/14/2010

Beat me to it. No matter whether it comes from New York, California, France, or Germany I like to serve Gewurztraminers at Thanksgiving. They are low enough in alcohol and sweet enough that the old maid aunts can enjoy them, but still have enough body in them to keep the wine snobs happy.
Also, they have enough spice in them to stand up to the stuffing and TGIFridays type appetizers one invariably finds there.

[marikane]

03:38 PM on 11/14/2010

Here's another idea for Rhone and Bordeaux-style wines for the holidaze: Wertzberger Wines. Small-lot, handcrafted and unique. Available through the Wertzberger Wines website: http://bit.ly/95HC8U

[marikane]

02:18 PM on 11/14/2010

If you are looking for great wines for your holiday clusterfukk, get J. J Winery has crisp Brut, creamy Pinot Gris, gently oaked Chardonnay and savory Pinot Noir, as I wrote recently: http://bit.ly/bhnkzW. For small-lot, hand crafted wines, check out Bill Wertzberger's wild Syrah/Grenache, racy Pinot Noir or his sumptuous Cabernet Sauvignon: http://bit.ly/95HC8U.
You can't go wrong with Sonoma County.

[rbchilds]

01:42 PM on 11/14/2010

The best wine for Turkey, Huet Clos du Bourg Moelleux - Vouvray.

[kareemachan]

12:55 PM on 11/14/2010

I'll use any excuse to serve sparkling wines at our table. My favorite at the moment is Nino Franco prosecco - Italian sparkling wine with a lower alcohol content than champagne. Lovely stuff.

[goodmarina]

12:44 PM on 11/14/2010

I love Inniskillin's  2009 Pinot Noir Rose -- sometimes, it is a lovely way to offset some of the heaviness of the holiday meals