Well, it's that time of year again when I start pondering the Turkey Day wine list. I am in a convenient position where I "cook" the wine for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Just wondering, what is everyone leaning toward this Thanksgiving?

I usually bring around 12 bottles, one or two of which being for dessert.

Louisiana is a year-round Rose state, and we like to sip on some as we're out frying the turkey! I'm leaning this year in the direction of the following two:

Dinastia Vivanco Rioja Tepranillo-Garnacha Rose 2011

Wirra Wirra Mrs. Wigley Grenache Rose 2012

What are some of your best/most surprising Thanksgiving pairing decisions, or what are you leaning toward this year?

(And nobody say Beajolais Nouveau!)

Our thanksgiving is not with family but ratHer with friends that we consider family. None of us are americans so we don't have families here. It is always 4 couples and two of the women are currently pregnant leaving only 6 drinkers. We are all basically newbies and this year I am planning a mini mini vertical 07,08, 09 and 10 Sta Lucia Highland Pinot tasting. Idea is to have a bit of a guessing game with my friends to make it kind of educational. Dessert wine will be either a 1997 Suiduirat or 05 Rieussec.

For us..It's usually..
Champagne
German Riesling
Sonoma or Oregon Pinot Noir
Vintage Port
I love this time of year!

I will start thinking about the wines the Wednesday before, but Champagne always.

I'm not a fan of the food served at Thanksgiving, so always try to make sure I enjoy the wine.

quote:

Originally posted by wine+art:
...Champagne always.

Hear hear (or is that here here? )!

Son-in-law hits his cellar.
Normally Champagne
Pinot
Some Super Tuscans
And later prt or other dessert wine.

I normally don't get a say in the selections.

Other Son in law a bit more low keyed. Bogle Shiraz and some other cabs. No champers, maybe Italian sparkler. [He is a 2nd generation Italian] But a gteat cook & baker

I usually start thinking about it when I go to grab a bottle on Thanksgiving Day. It really depends on who we're having dinner with and whether we're cooking or going out. If it's family, probably some kind of Riesling will be involved and after that who knows.

Usually we stick with American wines. Of course, we do that for Bastille Day too. Just because. But within those parameters, there's no real energy expended on thinking about the wine. We even opened a Pinot Noir once. That would have been around 18 years ago. It was OK.

2007 Albert Mann Furstentum Riesling for sure.

Probably Pinot Noir for red wine drinkers, Riesling and Oregon Pinot Gris for white wine drinkers.

Usually gewurz and pinot.

Some Pinot and some Riesling, figure that part out when we get closer.

We'll be going to my son's in-law's. I'll bring something good in my own self-interest. Probably a CA Chard and WA Rhone.

We don't do turkey that often so I am guessing lamb. Overdue for a St. Joseph.

Lamb for Thanksgiving?

Holy crap Spo! That's just heresy. Couldn't you at least do venison?

Lamb has a great holiday feel to it, Greg. Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas, it is right at home on any one of those tables.

I don't take anything over about $15 bucks. My family doesn't care, and I'm not spending more than that when a ten dollar bottle will do fine.

Kendall-Jackson basic Chardonnay for one of my sisters, inexpensive PN like Mirassou, Columbia Crest GE merlot and chard, and whatever $10 Cava I find on the shelves.

I love spending Thanksgiving with my family, and drinking something expensive won't add to my happiness on this holiday. If I want something a little tastier, I'll get a good bottle of Belgian beer.

I'm much like GregT (surprise). We have kind of a 'refugee' Thanksgiving every year with lots of friends who don't have family close coming over. They usually bring wine with them and I don't worry about any type of pairing. I do encourage people to bring American wine, it's our holiday after all.

I always do Bordeaux though on the 4th of July.

My contributions will be:

2005 Bergstrom Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
2006 Owen Roe Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley
2001 L'Ecole Syrah Seven Hills Vineyard

ive slowly converted my closest family (parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc...) into psuedo wine snobs over the last 10 years so we'll be drinking good this turkey day...

'10 Tercero Grenache Blanc
'10 Tercero Viognier
'10 Tercero Mourvedre Rose
'08 Tercero Cuvee Christie
'10 Liquid Farm Rose
'10 Dragonette Rose SYV
'11 Dragonette Sauv Blanc SYV (mag)
'09 Dragonette Syrah

will probably be a couple bottles of each except the mag of Dragonette SB and the LF Rose

Has anybody read Matt Kramer's article in the latest issue of WS? He brings up some excellent points in regards to this topic.

I haven't decided on a Riesling yet. Reds will likely be

2003 Robert Jayer-Gilles Bourgogne Haut Cotes de Beaune
2005 Loring Brosseau Vineyard Pinot
2002 Chehalem Stoller Vineyard Pinot

We are hosting thanksgiving for the first time in our newish home. Most people in attendance are not that into wine, but that is no reason to punish them and especially myself with average or boring wine! I’ll probably pop a champagne, white from Tablas Creek, CA pinot and maybe a nice Beaujolais. Really looking forward to a couple of days off to just cook and drink wine after a tough couple of months at work.

Over the years I have gradually given up trying to get the extended family and friends to enjoy Riesling with Thanksgiving dinner. In addition, all old world selections, whether red or white, have met with indifference. The exception is Champagne to go before the meal.

The consensus favorite is Pinot Noir from Oregon, or California as an acceptable alternative. Actually, they will drink whatever is put on the table, but its easy to tell which bottles get drained the quickest.

I'll add my +N for Champagne. And please make sure you enjoy it (or a second bottle ) with the meal rather than (just) as an appertif.

Frequently I'll go with a Pinot on the other side of the plate.

Huet petillant or other cremant de Loire
Cru Beaujolais
Maybe some OR PN
Vouvray or other Chenin

Won't bring out the top players in any of these categories as they might get run over, with the exception of the Huet as a starter.