Thanksgiving Wine Fun

Have you heard the rumor that Pinot Noir is the grape that pairs best with Thanksgiving dinner? All of those lovely earth tones, savory cranberry and cherry fruit flavors that Pinot Noir is best known for certainly make sense when paired with the earthy greens, yams and cranberry sauce that adorn your table top. And then there's the lighter body (which mitigate the heavy, filling meal) and terrific, food-loving acidity that lifts you through the hours of consumption.

Yes, I'll likely have a bottle of Pinot in my own trajectory of wine enjoyment this Thanksgiving. But it will be one of a few options. Because the REAL fun about Thanksgiving wine selection is that the world is your oyster!

This particular American holiday is something we at Ball Square Fine Wines (with our "discover the vine less traveled" motto) embrace. The eclectic nature of the culinary beast means you can pair a wine with a particular side dish (sure, it's ok to ignore the turkey if you prefer as, let's face it, more often than not it comes out a bit one note compared to all of the other options on the menu). Or, you can 'travel' to a wine region you just enjoy sampling from; or you can choose another high acid, lighter bodied red wine (like French Gamay (e.g. Beaujolais) or Italian Sciava or Montepulciano or Nebbiolo or Austrian Zweigelt...) to keep things from getting too heavy. Or you can choose a white (Pinot Gris, Riesling, Mueller Thurgau, anyone?) or a rose or sparkling wine to celebrate (I'll have at least one in each of those categories on offer, myself)!

Bottom line:  It'll be hard to mess it up.

If you're worried anyway or if you want help narrowing the playing field, stop on in! Chat with us about what makes you or your host tick and we'll set you on your way with something to slake your thirst.

Need accoutrements? Joe's bringing the thunder in the Gourmet Department. And it's a safe bet our resident Beer Geeks have something for the Game in the coooler....

Cheers to a safe, fulfilling, Happy Thanksgiving!