Wine Wisdom—

Thoughts Of Thanksgiving

& Deeper Into The Holidays

As we head towards Thanksgiving, with Christmas and New Year’s Eve looming on the horizon, wine may not be at the top of your to do list. Thanksgiving is a fun holiday for wine aficionados everywhere, however. The chance to match a special wine with a special meal is an opportunity that few wine enthusiasts can resist.

November is the month for “nouveau,” or new wines. Beaujolais Nouveau is the first wine released from the Beaujolais region in France. The grapes are picked in September and the wine from these grapes is released on the third Thursday in November. The wines are light, fruity, and just happen to be an easy drinking choice to go with a big turkey dinner.

The popularity of Beaujolais Nouveau has been followed by the release of Gamay Nouveau from California, which uses the same grape as Beaujolais, and “Novello” wines from Italy that have a similar flavor profile.

If you are looking for a wine that is a tad more complex than Beaujolais Nouveau to pair with Thanksgiving dinner, there are a variety of options. Nouveau’s more assertive cousin would be Pinot Noir. These dry red wines are usually light- to medium-bodied with cherry fruit flavors and soft tannins.

Fine Pinot Noir is being produced in Oregon, California, New Zealand and the Burgundy region of France.

Although a full-bodied Chardonnay will also pair nicely with turkey, those who are looking for something a little different may want to turn to Gewürztraminer. This medium-bodied white wine yields flavors of litchi and apricot, balanced by creaminess and acidity that keep the wines from tasting sweet.

Given a choice, I would choose a Gewürztraminer from the Alsace region of northern France.

As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, wine lovers need not despair. The arrival of Nouveau and the approach of the holidays provide an easy excuse to pop open another interesting and tasty bottle of wine.

(Newtown resident and wine enthusiast Steve Small is the new general manager at Yankee Wine & Spirits on Queen Street.)