quote:

Originally posted by Shane T.:
Has anybody read Matt Kramer's article in the latest issue of WS? He brings up some excellent points in regards to this topic.

Yep. Echos what I've done for years. My family doesn't care, I don't bring the "good stuff," so I don't stress a bit that they're not appreciating it.

quote:

Originally posted by indybob:

quote:

Originally posted by Shane T.:
Has anybody read Matt Kramer's article in the latest issue of WS? He brings up some excellent points in regards to this topic.

Yep. Echos what I've done for years. My family doesn't care, I don't bring the "good stuff," so I don't stress a bit that they're not appreciating it.

I have mixed feelings on his article as I would never stress about someone "appreciating" a wine I brought. While I agree it wouldn’t be a smart idea to bring something that is not to everyone’s tastes like a Biondi-Santi BdM to a thanksgiving filled with non-wine geeks, I also wouldn’t just bring some simple wine that I would not enjoy drinking on my own. I think there is a comfortable in between where I get to drink something I like and my family gets to try a wine that they normally wouldn’t spring for or even know about. My sister doesn’t really care all that much, but my dad has really taken a liking to wine since I started brining better wine to family events. He doesn’t have the means to buy wine so he really appreciates what I bring. Should I bring a cheap wine for my sister and a good bottle for me and my dad? That seems crazy to me. So my sister will continue to drink the wine I bring and maybe someday a particular wine will be her epiphany moment. If not, then it’s no difference to me as I buy wine to share with friends and family anyway!

quote:

I have mixed feelings on his article as I would never stress about someone "appreciating" a wine I brought. While I agree it wouldn’t be a smart idea to bring something that is not to everyone’s tastes like a Biondi-Santi BdM to a thanksgiving filled with non-wine geeks, I also wouldn’t just bring some simple wine that I would not enjoy drinking on my own. I think there is a comfortable in between where I get to drink something I like and my family gets to try a wine that they normally wouldn’t spring for or even know about. My sister doesn’t really care all that much, but my dad has really taken a liking to wine since I started brining better wine to family events. He doesn’t have the means to buy wine so he really appreciates what I bring. Should I bring a cheap wine for my sister and a good bottle for me and my dad? That seems crazy to me. So my sister will continue to drink the wine I bring and maybe someday a particular wine will be her epiphany moment. If not, then it’s no difference to me as I buy wine to share with friends and family anyway!

I agree with you here. You know Kramer is most always going to take a "mainstream" or popular idea, then turn it upside down. But, that's the reason I enjoy his articles.

I rarely (pretty much never) open a nice bottle just for myself. Like Kramer said, "Many of us wine geeks are generous people by nature." Why would it be any different during the holidays? I'm not saying that my goal is to fund somebody's "epiphany wine." But at the same time, my cellar is not some static entity. My wine is there to drink. If the byproduct in producing a nice bottle for family & friends is creating another "one of us," great. If they don't care or like it, chalk it up to collateral damage

The generosity of a cousin of sharing an exceptional bottle when I did not know anything about wine was how I got hooked. Why wouldn't I do the same? It is family after all.

Many have mentioned Champagne as a good pairing with the meal. We do the traditional turkey, spuds, stuffing, etc. etc. Would you do Blanc de Blancs, Brut, or Blanc de Noir? I though, since Pinot is such a popular red pairing, a rose bubbly might be a nice match.

I will most likely bring a BdB for starters.

Our family is a bunch of foodies and wine and spirits nerds(my cousin's got quite the extensive scotch/bourbon collection), so I bring higher-than-average wine to the events, and it's always been appreciated.

I can't remember if we have ever had mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving! It's always the traditional oyster dressing, spinach madeline, sweet potato casserole, and of course, pecan pie!

Day-after-Thanksgiving is always the best. We have a turkey gumbo cook-off, so what to pair for that one?

quote:

Originally posted by BRR:
Many have mentioned Champagne as a good pairing with the meal. We do the traditional turkey, spuds, stuffing, etc. etc. Would you do Blanc de Blancs, Brut, or Blanc de Noir? I though, since Pinot is such a popular red pairing, a rose bubbly might be a nice match.

It's hard to go wrong with Champagne BRR, but with turkey in particular I've enjoyed either a Rose Champagne or an NV with a good portion of Pinot Noir. Tends to play nicely with some of the sweeter sides as well (yams, cranberries etc....)

PH

quote:

Originally posted by NewOrleansWinosaur:
I can't remember if we have ever had mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving!

Wow...... At least when eating the "traditional" Thanksgiving meal in my family it is an absolute essential. Freshly made turkey gravy to accompany it is a must. I'm not a fan of turkey so much, but a good turkey gravy and mashed potatoes is a flavor memory that makes me smile.

PH

quote:

Originally posted by PurpleHaze:

quote:

Originally posted by NewOrleansWinosaur:
I can't remember if we have ever had mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving!

Wow...... At least when eating the "traditional" Thanksgiving meal in my family it is an absolute essential. Freshly made turkey gravy to accompany it is a must. I'm not a fan of turkey so much, but a good turkey gravy and mashed potatoes is a flavor memory that makes me smile.

PH

I love turkey gravy, too. And don't get me wrong, I love mashed potatoes, we just don't include them in holiday meals-- too easy!

Don't like turkey, hmm? Ever had cajun-injected fried turkey? And if not that, how bout some Turduckin!

quote:

Originally posted by NewOrleansWinosaur:
I love turkey gravy, too. And don't get me wrong, I love mashed potatoes, we just don't include them in holiday meals-- too easy!

What's wrong with easy???? Easy and tasty is one of my favorite combinations. In more ways than one....

Don't like turkey, hmm? Ever had cajun-injected fried turkey? And if not that, how bout some Turduckin!

I've deep fried turkey three times and frankly, I do like it a bit better than a baked bird, although I had to make turkey stock separately to have something to make my gravy with. I think some cajun spicing might help. There is just something about the flavor of turkey that doesn't work for me. Personal preference, is all......

Have had turduken and though I respect the concept and the work involved in putting one together, again......doesn't work for me. I'd rather have a good roasted duck all by itself.

PH

I have to agree with Matt Kramer in this instance. If there were anyone in my extended family that I thought would appreciate a fine wine, I'd be more than happy to pull out some of the bigger guns.
However, at Thanksgiving I think the food is supposed to be the real star, and the wine a supporting player.
The best success I've had was pouring a couple bottles of '98 Argyle Extended Tirage Brut.

quote:

'98 Argyle Extended Tirage Brut.

+1...This is my second favorite domestic sparkler (not far behind the Schramsberg "J Schram").

quote:

Originally posted by PurpleHaze:

quote:

Originally posted by NewOrleansWinosaur:
I love turkey gravy, too. And don't get me wrong, I love mashed potatoes, we just don't include them in holiday meals-- too easy!

What's wrong with easy???? Easy and tasty is one of my favorite combinations. In more ways than one....

Don't like turkey, hmm? Ever had cajun-injected fried turkey? And if not that, how bout some Turduckin!

I've deep fried turkey three times and frankly, I do like it a bit better than a baked bird, although I had to make turkey stock separately to have something to make my gravy with. I think some cajun spicing might help. There is just something about the flavor of turkey that doesn't work for me. Personal preference, is all......

Have had turduken and though I respect the concept and the work involved in putting one together, again......doesn't work for me. I'd rather have a good roasted duck all by itself.

PH

I don't know why, but my family just does not get in on the mashed potatoes. I have never once seen a family member of mine make or serve mashed potatoes besides me.

I am also not a fan of turduckin. It is totally rediculous.

Brined, injected turkey, however, is a revelation for regular tired old turkey. I do, however, prefer hands-down a smoked duck.

I always smoke our turkey. Normally we have one night of turkey enchiladas that weekend and one night where all the leftovers go away and we have crab.

The turkey gumbo though sounds interesting and Stef was excited to try it using some of our Dungeness crab. Turbodog would be my first choice, but I'd bet a SCM Chardonnay would go well also.

I will be smoking turkeys for all the in-laws this year. It'll be a good test of my commercial fridge conversion. Including ours, I think that'll put the number at six, and that'll probably max it out.
I have noticed that prices seem significantly higher for turkey than in previous years. Could be effects from the drought?

a trio of schloss schonborn rieslings from the rheingau. Not expensive but I have never had them and it will be mixed company, and we all know how that can be with regards to serving something to great

In Baltimore the natives (not me) have a custom of eating turkey with sauerkraut.
But, as to wine, I like a Pinot Blanc with my turkey, as well as a Pinot Noir.

mmmm, Pinot Noir and sauerkraut!

Unfortunately I'll be at the home of some future in-laws whose place sucks for entertaining and will have only 1 or 2 other wine drinkers. I may bring a Dr. L. Riesling and perhaps a lower end Pinot Noir. Yay.

I usually bring the wine and I'm sort of a cross between GlennK and Merengue, in that most of my family likes wine but doesn't have a palate that would appreciate some of the heavy hitters, so I don't bring them out. I do, however, try to raise the bar on their appreciation and enjoyment by introducing some wines they wouldn't necessarily buy themselves because of price and/or lack of familiarity.

Haven't decided what's going into the carrier this year yet...

For dessert I'm thinking '83 Warre Vintage Port. Anybody have any insight on serving this one?

quote:

Originally posted by PurpleHaze:

Have had turduken and though I respect the concept and the work involved in putting one together, again......doesn't work for me. I'd rather have a good roasted duck all by itself.
PH

i can bone and put together a turducken in about 30 minutes.

quote:

Originally posted by gmbdds:
For dessert I'm thinking '83 Warre Vintage Port. Anybody have any insight on serving this one?

i'd decant as you're prepping the turkey and drink 3-5 hours later.

there's TONS of bottle variation from this but if you get a good bottle it's a nice dark cherry with some stewed plums.

Certainly decant through cheese cloth/muslim for the chunks of sediment

Thanks gman, that's the advice I was looking for.

Adding a 1947 Cockburns to the list.