Thank you to my readers.  I am honored that you would take the time to read what I write and I humbled that you would look past my grammar and words to make a connection.  To the extent that talking about wine brings us together, I am grateful for the fruit of the vine, the land, the sun, and the labor of love to bring the fruit to the bottle.

Thanksgiving wine suggestions for my U. S. followers and a big Turkey Day shout out to Lynn and all the folks in the front office who tolerate my constant “wine, wine, wine...”. 

Most important, keep it light.  Lots and lots of food will push to heavy so let your beverage selections keep you light. 

No surprise here, start with a chilled sparkling wine.  Graham Beck from South Africa is widely available and a great bargain - both the rose brut and the traditional brut.  This may be sacrilegious but I would avoid French Champagne - it will overshadow and take away from the main event.  Napa-based Domaine Chandon would be my second choice.

Paired with turkey, I am going with a Virginia white wine.  We all know that the first Thanksgiving was in Jamestown, Virginia and NOT in Plymouth per the fairy tale we learned as kids.  At our house we will have a Lindon Hardscrabble Chardonnay out of the cellar.  I would also highly recommend the Veramar 2007 Chardonnay, it can be found with a bit of work (or just drive out to Veramar).  I would go with either, but I don’t have any Veramar down below.  If you  are going for a more widely distributed wine - Cakebread is the standard for Chard and you cannot be disappointed, but for the price of one Cakebread you could have a Lindon and a Veramar.

Sometimes we have ham and turkey.  With ham, I am absolutely pairing R. Stuart “Big Fire” Pinot Noir.   It would be good with turkey as well, but rocks the ham department.  Widely available.

With dessert.  Crazy I know, but I love Sobon Zinfandel Port.  Virginians can get it at “Total Wine” so it must be pretty widely available. Open it the day before, decant it and let it breathe.  Last bottle I had that was well decanted and after a day tasted like fresh peaches.  I have NEVER had a wine that tasted like peach and it was so yummy!  If you have apple pie - perfect.  If you have pumpkin pie - almost perfect.  If you have genuine mincemeat pie - I don’t know you.  If you have fake american mincemeat pie - perfect.  Besides the Sobon Zinfandel Port, we will be serving Martini & Rossi Asti Spumanti.  My wife likes it, and that is good enough for me.

I hope the wine suggestions help with you Thanksgiving planning.  I wish you a day full of friends, family, love, good food and wine.

Your humble correspondent,

Doyle