Wines For Your Thanksgiving Feast

That time of year is upon us once again.  The time of endless leftovers and triptifan induced naps.  Thanksgiving is fantastic!  What other day is it socially acceptable to completely pig out while imbibing your favorite beverages with your family and then take a nap.  Turkey is still, by far, the most popular offering at the Thanksgiving table.  The wines listed this month are all good bets to pair with turkey and all the sides.  Some are well suited to many other less traditional dishes.

  Please see the recipes listed below and enjoy your holiday.

Jacob’s Creek Chardonnay Pinot Noir Brut Cuvee NV - $10.99

This fairly new sparkling offering from Australia is a real winner. It’s made in the traditional method (Methode Champenoise) and offers a lot of bang for the buck. It is rich and fairly full-bodied and offers crisp citrus notes with a subtle toastiness. An exceptional value. The perfect Thanksgiving aperitif.

www.jacobscreek.com.au

2003 Balthasar Ress Hattenheimer Schutzenhaus Rheingau Riesling Kabinett - $15.99

This is a great wine for turkey, especially for the more daring cajun spice-rubbed fried turkey. This lighter-bodied German white has clean and expressive notes of green apple, pear, and citrus with bright acidity. This off-dry wine is very versatile and would be a great compliment to most side dishes (especially sweet potatoes).

www.ress-wine.com

2003 Nepenthe Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc - $19.99

This delightfully crisp and fresh sauvignon blanc from the beautiful Adelaide Hills region of South Australia is another great wine for turkey. It has crisp lime notes with subtle fig and tropical notes. It’s also the perfect accompaniment for traditional sage stuffing and asparagus.

www.nepenthe.com.au

2002 Frei Brothers Reserve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir - $19.99

This Sonoma pinot is consistently good, but the 2002 may be the best yet. It is medium-bodied with good acidity and notes of dark cherry, raspberry, and subtle vanilla from oak. A great match with the traditional Thanksgiving feast or slightly less traditional dishes like salmon, lamb, goose, or a beef roast.

www.freibrothers.com

2000 Ramon Bilbao Rioja - $11.99

This elegant Spanish red is made from Tempranillo and aged in oak for 14 months. It displays notes of wild blackberries and red currant with subtle pepper and a smooth vanillin finish. A great compliment to turkey or goose.

www.bodegasramonbilbao.es

2001 Rancho Zabaco Dry Creek Valley Reserve Zinfandel - $16.99

This hearty red is a great universal food wine. It’s complimentary to just about anything. Turkey or a standing rib roast are no exception. Blackberry and raspberry fruit notes are accented with brambly spice and subtle vanilla.

www.ranchozabaco.com

R.L. Buller & Son Fine Muscat -$15.99/375ml

Two words…PUMPKIN PIE!

This is just about the most perfect match for pumpkin pie ever produced. Rich, smooth, and sweet with complex notes of toffee, prune, nutmeg, caramel, hazelnut, and coffee, this Aussie stunner from Victoria is insanely good. Who needs dessert when you’ve got this.

www.southernstarz.com

Try These Recipes For Your Thanksgiving Feast

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Chipotle Cream-

1 medium pumpkin, about 4 pounds
1 tablespoon butter
2 slices bacon, diced
1 large yellow onion, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus 1 cup, for garnish
1/4 cup orange juice
Large pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Whole leaves flat-leaf parsley, as a garnish
1 tablespoon chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Halve the pumpkin from top to bottom and place it, cut side down, on an oiled baking sheet. Bake until the pumpkin can be easily skewered, 45 to 60 minutes. Cool for about 20 minutes.

With a spoon, remove the seeds and discard. Scrape the pulp and reserve. Discard the skin. Melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and the bacon is just turning golden, about 7 minutes. Add the pumpkin and stock and simmer until the pumpkin falls apart, about 30 minutes. Let cool for about 20 minutes.

In batches, puree the soup in a blender on high speed, 3 minutes per batch, until very smooth. Strain through a fine mesh into a clean soup pot and add the cream, orange juice and nutmeg.

Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick, correct the consistency with additional water or stock. Chop 1 tablespoon chipotle pepper. Whip 1 cup cream to soft peak. Stir peppers into cream. Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Spoon dollop of chipotle cream into soup.

4 cups milk
1 cup granulated sugar
8 whole eggs
1/4 cup vanilla extract Cook's Note: Day-old biscuits or croissants are best for this recipe. You will need enough to fill a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 (16-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
Cubed bread (see Cook's Note)
1 cup fresh cranberries

Cook's Note: Day-old biscuits or croissants are best for this recipe. You will need enough to fill a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.