Drink Up
with David Setley
To me, Thanksgiving is about sharing time, memories, and food with loved ones. Our focus is on gratitude and appreciation for those we care most about, living and passed, and for the freedom we share. Though some other countries celebrate a ‘harvest holiday’ with a similar name, the American version of Thanksgiving is historically unique.
You may recall learning the story of the Pilgrims and the Native Americans sitting down to celebrate the harvest. According to the journals of William Bradford, the first Governor of the Plymouth Colony, the first Thanksgiving celebration occurred in the fall of 1621. However, it was more of a dinner with prayers, bonfires, and gunshots to ward off the Native Americans in the area than what many of us envisioned in elementary school. A peace treaty with the Wampanoag people and the shared harvest celebrations started a few years later. What we think of now as Thanksgiving dinner is not far from what was likely enjoyed then; they had fowl, duck, venison, cranberry, vegetables, cornmeal, and pumpkin (although it likely did not take the form of a pie!). These celebrations became known in the early 1800s when Bradford’s journals were published in a magazine. The publisher, Sarah Josepha Hale, was so moved by the story that she lobbied no less than 5 U.S. Presidents to make it a national holiday. Her pleas fell on deaf ears until 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November to be Thanksgiving to heal some of the hurts of the Civil War. In 1941, FDR changed the date to the 4th Thursday.
As you can imagine, the most common questions I have received of late have been about wines to serve with Thanksgiving dinner. Though I have learned that many families enjoy a variety of foods, I based the recommendations in this article on the assumption that most families will enjoy at least some aspect of the traditional Thanksgiving menu: turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes and/or mashed potatoes, cranberries, and pie.
My wife and I enjoy greeting guests and welcoming them to our home with a ‘welcome wine.’ A small glass of a light wine is a tasteful (and tasty) way to start the festivities. A perfect welcome wine is Moscato d’Asti, a lightly sweet, low-alcohol, and slightly effervescent wine from the Piedmont region of Northern Italy. I recommend either the Bartenura Moscato d’Asti or the Brilla Moscato d’Asti. The Bartenura is one that I have recommended previously as a welcome wine; it’s quite lovely and is also Kosher. The Brilla is new to our store and is presented in a beautiful bottle that will add to your Thanksgiving festivities.
If you prefer a white wine with your Thanksgiving meal, Chardonnay pairs well. For a classic California-style Chard that is oaky and buttery, the Raeburn Chardonnay from Sonoma County is a tried-and-true favorite. Or, if you like less oak, I highly recommend the Terres Dorees Beaujolais Blanc Chardonnay from the Beaujolais Region of France. This is an organic wine with the green apple and pear flavors of classic Old-World Chardonnay. If neither appeal, try the Ladera Sagrada Castelo do Papa Godello, from Valdeorras, Spain. This white wine has an outstanding flavor dominated by stone minerality with notes of pear, honey and melon. It pairs perfectly with the traditional Thanksgiving meal. It may even become your new favorite winter white.
If you prefer red wine with your holiday meal, the perfect pairing is a Gamay from Beaujolais. Gamay is a medium-plus bodied red wine with a very smooth texture. With medium tannins, it is a very smooth wine with just enough acidity to make it perfect for a rich holiday dinner. I highly recommend the Terres Dorees L’Ancien Beaujolais. It has the perfect blend of dark red fruit flavors, paired with an earthiness that is classic in wines from this region of France. Or, another outstanding wine from one of the premiere subregions of Beaujolais is the Dubost En Brenay Moulin-a-Vent. The balance of smooth tannins and acidity in this wine represents the greatness of the Beaujolais region. You wouldn’t be disappointed.
Don’t forget about wine during dessert! My recommendation works well with traditional pumpkin pie as well as apple pie (no judgement if you have a slice of both). Germany and Austria are well-known for Riesling wines, available in a wide range of sweetness level, from very sweet to bone dry. I recommend the Schloss Gobelsburg Reisling Kamptal from Austria for the perfect complement to Thanksgiving dinner. The Schloss Gobelsburg is an off-dry Riesling; it is from a winery that is over 850 years old and is the oldest estate in the Danube River region of Kamptal. Off-dry Rieslings fall in the middle of wine’s sweetness levels with approximately 1-2% residual sugar. A sweet wine would add too much sweetness to your dessert, whereas a dry wine would bring too much contrast. The acidity of the Schloss Gobelsburg is high, making the wine crisp and refreshing. The flavor profile is green apple and pear with a pleasant level of minerality. Perfect for pie.
I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving and hope your festivities are exactly as you want them to be. I am grateful to you all for taking the time to read these wine articles; it has truly been my pleasure to write them. Don’t hesitate to contact me at dsetley@passionvines.com with any questions. Until next time, Happy Wining!
David Setley is a certified sommelier enjoying his retirement from higher education as a wine enthusiast and educator at Passion Vines in Somers Point, New Jersey.
