Many of you will be shopping for Thanksgiving wines in the coming days. Remember that no single wine is going to match up with diverse and clashing flavors that range from cranberry sauce to olives to giblet gravy. Second, don’t feel guilty about drinking whatever makes you happy! Thanksgiving is a special day, and if you want to open that bottle of Caymus Select Cabernet Sauvignon, have at it. Let us not forget that this day is about plenty, and thankfulness, and making memories with people you care about.
Now, for our customers who could use some suggestions, and particularly for those who will be serving wine to large numbers of people, the wine guys have chosen four red wines and four whites that should please a range of tastes. The wines on this list were selected by Joyce James, Jerry Hall, Jeff Warzynski, Bob Schmitt, and yours truly. We tasted a number of bottles before narrowing down this list to eight. I was impressed by the frank and insightful observations of the other tasters, and we’ve included many of those to help you in your shopping.
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WHITE WINES
Hugel Alsace Gewurztraminer 2005. “Gewurtz” means spice in German. One of the world’s most interesting grapes reaches the peak of its capabilities in Alsace, an area on the French-German border. This wine combines the aromas and flavors of Litchi nuts, gingerbread, grapefruit, spice, minerals, and even honeysuckle. The nose is floral and spicy, and tasters found minerals and melon on the palate. This wine is not sweet, in spite of the description. The consensus was that this has a lot of personality and would appeal to a knowledgeable wine drinker or someone who is looking for something different. My favorite white. $24.99.
Hopler Gruner Veltliner 2006. Gruner is Austria’s most important grape, both in terms of quality, and in the number of acres under cultivation. This is a fascinating and mouthwatering wine that is often mistaken for Chardonnay, Riesling, or Pinot Blanc in blind tastings. Hopler has a light, greenish color, with a wonderfully fragrant nose (buttercups?). On the palate, this Gruner brought to mind peaches, with minerals, and even a bit of fennel. The white pepper on the finish distinguishes this grape. A lot of “mouth feel” for a white. A delicious and well-made wine for $13.99.
Hogue Columbia Valley Gewurtztraminer 2005. Why do we have two Gewurtztraminer recommendations? Because Hogue, made in Washington State, is completely different from the Hugel. It is fascinating that the same grape can produce such differing results in two locations. Hogue has much sharper spice on the nose, and it is all sweet apricots on the palate. If you have a great aunt who thinks she doesn’t like wine, get her to try a glass of this. Frankly, for those with a well developed palate, this will probably be too sweet, but most of us started on wines like this one. Certainly worth taking a chance at $7.99.
Bonny Doon Big House White 2006. As one of the wine guys put it, a successful wine depends a lot on the kind of crowd you are trying to please. This perennial crowd pleaser is a blend of seven grapes! It literally has something for everyone, but the common denominator is drinkability. Many inexpensive whites taste like sour green apples, but not this one. This is arguably the best, most interesting white wine under $10 in the store. Several of the tasters serve this at their own parties. Buy several bottles, because it will go fast, and you want to keep your guests happy! $9.49.
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RED WINES
Mark West Sonoma Pinot Noir 2006. Pinot Noir is high in acidity and low in tannins, and is undoubtedly the most versatile and food-friendly red. It is also very light and drinkable. This one doesn’t need food, and can be sipped and enjoyed as your gathering progresses. It has notable black cherry aroma on the nose. The consensus is that this is a great party wine. If you are looking for something interesting and complex that will start a conversation, this isn’t your best bet, but Mark West is always popular, and one of our perennial best-sellers. The Pinot Noir grape has a reputation for being sensitive and hard to grow. How do they make this for $10.99?
Walnut City Wineworks Reserve Pinot Noir 2005. Even though this wine comes from the Willamette Valley of Oregon, it is made in a French Burgundy style that is drier, more sophisticated, and less fruit-forward than others. It has characteristic black cherry on the nose, with maybe a bit of pepper. On the palate, it is earthy like the forest floor. One of our tasters found this wine moody, and likened it to a walk in the woods on an overcast day. Walnut City is complex, needs food, and will be better appreciated by more serious wine drinkers. $24.99.
Robert Hall Rhone de Robles Red Wine 2005. Now we get into two other alternatives that we found very appealing. The tasters think the name of this wine is misleading. Typical Rhones (French) are earthy, minerally, peppery, and mushroomy. This Central Coast (California) wine is none of the above, but was, to me, the unique bottle of the day. A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault, it smells of dark fruit and what Robert Parker calls “spicebox”. This is a big fruity wine with good balance that will remind you of pumpkin pie spice! What a perfect wine for Thanksgiving! Hello cinnamon, nutmeg, and sweet oak! Really different in the best sense of the word. This was my favorite! $18.99.
Rosenbloom Vintner’s Cuvee XXIX Zinfandel. Zins are almost always accessible, ready to party, and fun to drink. One taster sipped this and said “Big fruit meets tobacco shop”. In previous vintages of the Cuvee, I had not detected the taste of grape skins and stems on the finish that marks this one. The group thought this a very honest straightforward wine and reminded one taster of the homemade wine his uncle used to make. $11.99.
Take any of these selections home and you will be glad you did. The wine guys wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving!
Photo credits: Jerry Hall | 2BSEEN.
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