Selecting A Wine For Thanksgiving Shouldn't Cause Stress

By SHANNON HICKS

Published: Nov 21, 2008 12:00 am

Selecting A Wine For Thanksgiving Shouldnât Cause Stress

The turkey is free range, natural grain fed, and 100% organic. The cooking schedule has been prepared down to the final second so that all the dishes reach the table hot.

The tablecloth is wrinkle free and the gravy is lump-free. The table is set with the good china, the sterling silver flatware, and the Riedel glasses.

There is just one question: What is the perfect wine to put in the glasses?

If your taste leans towards white wine, your choice should be a wine that has both flavor and body. Two of the most popular choices to grace the Thanksgiving table are GewÃ¼rztraminer and Chardonnay.

GewÃ¼rztraminer is a white wine that is most commonly produced in Germany, Alsace, Washington State, and New York State. The common denominator is the cool climate of all of these regions. It is highly aromatic, has hints of sweetness and is medium-bodied.

The complex fruit flavors of GewÃ¼rztraminer are a nice complement to the varied dishes of a typical Thanksgiving dinner.

A good Chardonnay with nicely balanced fruit and oak flavors would also be a great choice for the table. Good Chardonnay is being produced all over the world. The oak flavors from barrel aging along with the traditional fruit flavors and acidity of a good Chardonnay make it a lovely choice to enjoy with your turkey.

If you prefer red wine, you should think about a soft red wine with ripe fruit flavors. Beaujolais Nouveau is an incredibly popular wine to grace the Thanksgiving table. If you prefer something drier and more complex, a good Pinot Noir is a perfect choice.

Excellent Pinot Noir is now available from Burgundy, California, Oregon, New Zealand and Chile. The wines are medium-bodied with lovely black and red cherry fruit flavors. The soft tannins and acidity of well-made Pinot Noir beautifully complement all the varied flavors of your perfectly elegant holiday feast.

There are many lovely and appropriate wines available to complement Thanksgiving dinner. It should never be a source of stress. Now if only Aunt Edna and cousin Fred would just start getting along!

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

Patricia Anzellotti

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It seems a lot of the discussion around the flagpole focuses on vilifying drivers who pass on the right, but the real issue is being overlooked. If Chapter 248 Section 14-251 were enforced, we wouldn’t see this problem to begin with. That statute prohibits stopping in the middle of a roadway to yield to cross traffic—as so often happens with cars waiting to turn from Church Hill. When vehicles stop illegally in the travel lane, they effectively create a blockage. Other drivers then either sit through unnecessary delays or carefully pass around them on the right, which is fully permitted when the vehicle ahead is “illegally parked” in the roadway. Instead of punishing drivers reacting to the obstruction, enforcement should focus on the cause: vehicles unlawfully stopping and backing up traffic in the first place. If that behavior were addressed, the need to “go around” would largely disappear.

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John, you raise an important point — these situations are tragic, complicated, and often far less clear-cut than the headlines make them seem. In the Fredericksburg case, the full facts still aren’t publicly known, and like so many of these stories, there’s conflicting information. It was apparently the back door at 3 a.m. — was it justified to use deadly force? We don’t know yet. What we do know is that the homeowner has been charged, and as you rightly noted, that is very serious. But this is also where perspective matters. These cases are quickly sensationalized in the news and on social media, yet when the dust settles, the outcomes are rarely publicized. People forget that in our system, you are innocent until proven guilty. Try to find much coverage of the convication in the case of the Fairfield Realtor vehicle homicide, or updates on the woman who shot her husband a couple of Christmases ago, or even the pedestrian death in Sandy Hook a year or so back. The follow-through simply isn’t there, and public opinion is often shaped only by the first round of headlines. At the end of the day, these situations remind us how split-second decisions in the middle of the night can change lives forever — which is exactly why the right to protect one’s property, home and family is so fiercely debated, and lucky constitutionally protected.

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First the low hanging fruit. Dave; it was a joke, please get over it. You are the only person in Newtown that thought I really wanted to build a stadium on 6 Commence Rd. Now on to Alex. You might not appreciate my writing style or my selection of words, but let's not loose sight of the fact that by responding to my letter in the manner that you did, you have removed any doubt whatsoever that you have no idea of the quantifiable benefits you are dismissing not only for the town, but also for protesters. Either you stopped listening at the word "ordinance" or you never started.. Your constitutional rights to assemble were never in question and would actually be strengthened and there would be literally no impediments. We could even title it "The Alex Villamil Ordinance" if you want. It could be your legacy and actually show Newtown your willingness to work in a bipartisan way for the betterment of the town. Businesses would be protected. Traffic wouldn't be interrupted. The town would save hundreds of thousands of dollars in police overtime. And maybe most importantly, the town could prevent another tragedy while mitigating legal risk in the event something terrible happens at a protest. Nothing bad could never happen in Newtown right? All that could be accomplished by a simple, non-intrusive ordinance unless all the detriments to our town are intentional in order to bring more attention to your cause. Alex, this was not me throwing a temper tantrum. Believe me, you will know it if that happens. I am just putting Newtown first. From that perspective, if you think critically, the regulation is necessary. It makes sense logically, rationally, and is reasonable. There is absolutely no down side. None. I would be willing to sit down with you to see if we could come to some type of compromise if you want. Let me know. You would be amazed how much you can accomplish when there is dialogue amongst neighbors.

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A popular prank circulating on TikTok is “ding-dong-ditch” where a group of young people violently bang or kick someone’s door late at night and then “ditch” or run. On May 3 three high schoolers here in Fredericksburg Va. were participating in such a prank. One homeowner assumed, as in this case, an attempted break in and also took measures to defend his family and property. As the youths were running away he fired, striking an 18 year old graduating senior in the back killing him and seriously injuring a second youth. A wasted life, a family shattered, and the homeowner charged with murder.

You’re absolutely right — no one should ever feel unsafe in their own home. Being startled awake by violent banging at your door late at night is no joke, and it’s a stark reminder that danger can come without warning. That’s why I’m thankful for the right to protect ourselves, our families, and our property. In a moment like that, you don’t get a second chance to call for help before you act — you have to be prepared. Our homes should be a place of peace, not fear, and the ability to defend them is a right worth safeguarding.

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