Here It Comes! The Annual ‘What To Drink At Thanksgiving’ Wine Column

Yes it's time to haul out wines to drink with that damn turkey again.

For some decades now the obligatory Thanksgiving week wine column has inevitably circled the turkey, as if that mandatory holiday fowl were some deeply mysterious entrée requiring special expertise to accompany. I confess I've written more than a few of these columns at the behest of various editors, and I'm happy to give you the condensed wisdom of my numerous expositions on this important matter. What wine to serve at Thanksgiving?

Any wine! Let me add this:  Make that many wines!

I hope that takes away any stress about which corks to pull. It really doesn't matter what you choose, nor does it really have to be wine. Beer and turkey? Nothing wrong with that. Just make it a little special – save the PBR and Miller Light for Black Friday. Get something seasonal from your local brewer. For guests who don’t drink alcohol a glass of sparkling water can be plenty festive. The key is to give everyone a chance to participate in what is (hopefully) a joyful celebration, so you can all raise a glass of something together and give thanks for all the blessings of the day.

As for me, I've gone through several different phases while choosing my own Thanksgiving wines over the years. My main strategy for many years was to host a dinner with a rather sizeable guest list, so that I could open a great many bottles and let everyone choose for themselves. When Beaujolais Nouveau had its moment of glory back in the day I'd feature a bottle or two (one from France, one from Oregon) as a nod to the season. When those wines plateaued into mediocrity I turned to vintage-dated cru Beaujolais from France. Those wines are still a better option than the Nouveau.

Most recently I've leaned into Oregon Pinot Noir which remains about as good a single choice option as you can find (and you can find many good ones by scrolling through posts on this Substack). That said, the vast number of food items that are likely to be presented in and around all the football games ideally should be accompanied by as many options as possible, including sparkling, white, rosé, serious red and a dessert wine.

A couple of lifetimes ago, while attending a mandatory Thanksgiving dinner with my large and diverse family of in-laws, I was introduced to a particular specialty of a distant relative which featured a topping of melted marshmallows over some sort of a squash mélange. It made an indelible impression on me and re-surfaced just now as I was thinking about the versatility of less common options such as Gewurztraminer and Viognier. Viognier might have been the perfect accompaniment for Aunt Marietta's marshmallow surprise, though I'm sorry to say she is no longer with us to help me prove the point.

A more important question is why bother at all to try matching specific wines to each possible dish? It’s just not that meaningful, or manageable, or even helpful. The reason I recommend the widest possible variety is to satisfy a range of diet and palate preferences, as this cartoon by Roz Chast clearly illustrates.

Which brings me back to any wine, many wines. Toss all the rules out. That’s right—forget about matching anything to anything! Open up anything and everything that you like, and odds are spectacularly good that you’ll find some brilliant and unexpected pairings. Given that there are likely to be more than the usual number of glasses to fill at the table, have one bottle each of several different wines. Make it fun, not work. Celebrate. Realizing that it’s fourth and goal, and the range of foods, flavors, seasonings, appetites and wine preferences rushing at you means that no single wine will guarantee a score, throw a Hail Mary.

Since we live in one of the greatest wine regions on the planet, I reached out to friends in the business, asking them to tell me what wine(s) would be on their Thanksgiving tables. Here is a sampling of the replies.

Dan Gorden, who works in wine sales in Seattle, writes that he’ll be pouring Martin Texier Brezeme 2020. “I love what Texier does with this Syrah. Thankful for my family, job, health and yummy vino!”

John House (Ovum wines) will pour a 2016 Luigi Giordano Barbaresco Montestefano.

Chris Dowsett (Dowsett Family Wines) points to “Gewurztraminer, which has been a part of every Thanksgiving I remember drinking wine at.”

Don Phelps (Hard Row To Hoe Vineyards) tells me that “on the counter will be Pinot noir, Gamay noir and Chardonnay. After dinner will be a late harvest Gewurztraminer. All from the Lake Chelan AVA.”

With tongue clearly in cheek Hugh Remash (Eagle Harbor Wine Company) claims that “we’re having a wine that’s hard to get:  an oaked, buttery, Napa Chardonnay.”

Toby Turlay (Ducleaux Cellars) is going to be“starting with bubbles. My go-to Gaston Chiquet.”

Down in Napa John Skupny (Lang & Reed) says “we usually try to stay with American wines as it is truly an American Holiday... mostly Franc, Pinot, or Gamay, - Gewurtz, Chenin for white- With a little domestic sparkling to start the festivities. This year I came across a couple bottles of Bride Valley English Sparkling Wine, from Stephen Spurrier's vineyard in Dorset. And though Stephen left us a couple years back, I thought it would be a fitting tribute to someone I knew and miss, and someone who so impacted and cemented our new world wine region in the mindset of wine lovers internationally!”

My takeaway message is make it special in whatever way that resonates for you and your family. Mrs. G and I will be celebrating with friends here in Waitsburg. I have not decided on specifics. But I’ll leave you with this final thought.

Subscribers – I am grateful and thankful for your support. It energizes and inspires this Substack. There isn’t much wine coverage on Substack; in fact wine coverage across all media has plummeted, both in quantity and quality. My Northwest Wine Guide is devoted exclusively to showcasing the boutique, artisanal wines and wineries of the Pacific Northwest. Subscribing is free, and will remain so. However, if enough subscribers commit to a paid subscription ($5/month would be plenty) I will create add-ons for the paid group. One add-on – a weekly wine recommendation with a link to purchase that is not shown on the free site. Those recommendations will be for wines that deliver exceptional value at a fair price. No supermarket specials – but great wines you probably won’t hear about anywhere elser. How many paid subs are enough? I’ll know it when it gets there. I’m only asking those who would be willing to subscribe to indicate it by hitting this button.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!