FOOD: Family Feud : Falls Church Times

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By Christianna Sargent
Friday, November 16, 2012
Special to the Falls Church Times

Every year I get the same question at my wine classes and from friends, ?What wines should I buy for Thanksgiving? My Dad really likes big Cabernet, my mom likes Pinot, my aunt drinks Pinot Grigio, my distant cousin lives in New York and is a huge wine-O?so I want to impress him; my grandma doesn?t really drink, my brother digs beer, and my husband likes dry wines, but I don?t.? The scenario varies thousands of times over from this stereotype, but none-the-less the theme remains consistent: Thanksgiving presents the classic family feud.

This time of year you can always expect reading the traditional thanksgiving wine pairing to-do and not-to-do reviews. Everywhere you look the line-ups listed in Martha Stewart to GQ and every culinary magazine in-between give their expert opinions on how to pair wines with the flavor rainbow represented at Thanksgiving. I used to put a great deal of energy into convincing people that Riesling, Chenin Blanc, and Beaujolais should be the dominant wines to adorn your Turkey Day table. I would discount those who said they didn?t like sweet wine, scoff at others who refused to drink lighter-bodied wines, and secretly laugh at all the others who simply just didn?t give a hoot about the beauty and fragility of wine pairings at Thanksgiving. I blame my inner wine geek and the sinful wine-snob syndrome that afflicted me in years passed. To be fair, though, I must admit Thanksgiving is like the Holy Grail for me. It is my favorite holiday, a tried-and-true family custom, and it?s a time when I can cook with soul and enjoy my odd-ball wine thrillers that boast sweetness, aromatics, and the ultimate acidity. This is when I bust out the vintage Rieslings and Vouvrays, damn good Champagne, and phenomenal Beaujolais (and perhaps even that Madeira to finish).

But this year, I?m ready to let loose a little. Ease up on the inner wine snob, because I?m starting to appreciate that it doesn?t matter what everyone else drinks, so long as I?m happy and they?re happy.

Every palate is different. Wine drinking habits not only vary amongst your relatives, but the thanksgiving feast presents one of the hardest wine pairing feats of the year. So here is my new and improved wine survival kit to avoid the family feud wine confusion.

Number 1: Acid is key. No matter what wine you buy, it?s got to sport acid. The? key to acidic wine is that it cuts through the richness of casseroles and all the festive fare, such as the dry turkey, that bitter cranberry salad, and that famously sweet potato pie. Think Italian reds, French whites, Argentinean Malbecs, Oregon Pinots, and French fragrant Beaujolais.

Number 2: Buy a variety of different wines, open them all before dinner and let people sample their way through them at their own pace. Get a semi-sweet for Aunt Jane (and for those who know how to pair rich, festive fare properly), buy a Beaujolais Cru to satisfy the Pinot Noir lovers (or just buy some Pinot). Branch out a bit for the ultra hip and get some Vouvray. Buy a full-bodied Chardonnay for folks that love that oak, vanilla, buttered popcorn home-run flavor; and finally, slip in a bigger bodied red from Italy, whether it be a Barolo or a plain-old Chianti.

Number 3:? Don?t go for the high-alcohol bomb-shells like Zinfandel, Australian Shiraz, or California Cabs. Think middle of the rode with Spanish Tempranillo, French Beaujolais Cru, Argentiina Malbec, and California Rhone blends (just google California Rhone Rangers).

Stick to these tips and you will be golden. Remember, first and foremost, what you like dominates any other factor of this family-overwhelming holiday. The first goal of drinking wine is to soften the mood, stimulate the conversation, and make memorable moments for posterity to come. So revel in this season of Thanksgiving, and buy whatever wine pleases you; but remember to make sure it sports acid to pair with the year?s ultimate feast.

Recommendations for your feast:

Philippe Foreau Vouvray Demi-Sec Loire, France $29.99

Vietti Nebbiolo Perbacco Langhe, Italy $24.99

Dr. Loosen Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett Mosel, Germany $24.99

Acacia Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, Oregon $17.99

Thivin Cote de Brouilly Beaujolais, France $18.99

Happy eating!

Christianna Sargent
Certified Sommelier
Advanced Certificate?
Wine & Spirits Education Trust
Association of Italian Sommeliers
French Wine Scholar
talesofasommelier.blogspot.com

Source: http://fallschurchtimes.com/37438/food-family-feud/

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