Date: Fri 22-Nov-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: DONNAM

Illustration: C

Location: A14

Quick Words:

Wine-Wisdom-turkey

Full Text:

(suggestions for Thanksgiving wines, Wine Wisdom column, 11/22/96)

Wine Wisdom-

Which Wines With Turkey?

By Steve Small

Which wines go with turkey? I have been hearing that question quite a bit over

the last couple of weeks. The short answer is medium bodied, fairly fruity

reds or full-bodied whites. (Wow, that was easy! Now what do I write for my

Christmas column?) For those of you interested in a little more detail, read

on...

The quintessential Thanksgiving red wine is Beaujolais Nouveau. These red

wines are light, fruity, and meant to be drunk while still young. Although the

wines will last about six months, most Nouveau is consumed in November and

December. These are wines for drinking, not aging, tasting and evaluating.

Besides being the perfect complement to a holiday meal, it is also the perfect

party wine. It is great for parties because wine "experts" and wine novices

can all enjoy it.

If you prefer a slightly drier red wine, Pinot Noir works nicely. Although

these wines are definitely dry, they also have nice fruit flavors that marry

well with a traditional turkey dinner. Tasty Pinot Noir for around $10 (750 ml

bottle) include Napa Ridge, Firesteed, Meridian and Pepperwood Grove.

French wines, called Bourgogne Rouge, are also Pinot Noir. Reliable names to

look for include Bouchard, Joseph Drouhin and Louis Jadot.

I recently tasted a wine from Frederic Esmonin called Bourgogne

Passetoutgrain. This wine is fifty percent Pinot Noir, fifty percent Gamay

(the grape used for Beaujolais Nouveau). Obviously this wine has all the

characteristics I would look for in a "turkey" wine.

There has been a lot of buzz in the wine press lately against overly oaked

Chardonnays and Chardonnay wines in general. Without getting into specific

criticisms I must admit I actually enjoy a big, oaky, buttery Chardonnay with

my Thanksgiving dinner. You should be aware that prices on these wines have

been steadily increasing and are now generally in the $12 to $20-a-bottle

range. Some of my favorite big, buttery, oaky Chardonnays include Cambria, J.

Lohr, Carmenet and New Zealand's Morton Estate.

And now for something completely different: I have to mention the 1994

Schleret Gewurztraminer "Herrenweg Vineyard." It's a mouthful to say and a

mouthful to drink. This is a big, full-bodied, rich, powerful wine that will

retain its character with practically everything on the Thanksgiving table. It

will most likely be one of the wines gracing our table.

Remember, the best choice of a Thanksgiving wine is a wine you like. Trying to

precisely match all the flavors of Thanksgiving dinner to one perfect wine is

guaranteed to make you crazy. Now if I could only figure out why that little

plastic turkey timer won't pop up!...

(Steve Small is the proprietor of Steve's Liquor Store, in Ricky's Shopping

Center at 71 Main Street South in Newtown.)