Ryan Robinson, Director of Education, Brescome Barton and Worldwide Wines.
For as long as I’ve been in restaurants as budding sommelier, every November the same Thanksgiving wine advice seems to make its repeated appearance. Pinot Noir. Buy Beaujolais. Keep the reds light, don’t use too much oak, and make sure there is enough acidity for the cranberry sauce. While none of that advice is wrong as these are excellent additions, I like to try new pairings by exploring lesser-known wine regions and grape varieties, and Thanksgiving may actually be the perfect meal for abandoning the traditional pairing rules because there really isn’t one flavor on the table.
When in doubt, go with bubbles. You should ALWAYS choose a sparkling wine, in my opinion. The acidity refreshes the palate. The bubbles deal beautifully with fat and salt. Depending on the wine, you can have citrus, orchard fruit, toast, spice and enough texture to handle the richer parts of the meal. Champagne is obvious, and deservedly so, but Thanksgiving is also a great excuse to look beyond it, and beyond its price tag. Great alternatives such as Crémant, Franciacorta, English sparkling wine, Cava and Asti all bring something different to the table.
After spending time recently in Piemonte with the Asti Consorzio, I came home thinking we have been selling this category far too narrowly. Asti DOCG is not simply sweet sparkling wine for dessert. There are drier expressions of Asti Spumante that work extremely well as aperitifs and with food. Aromatic Moscato brings peach, citrus, flowers and herbs to the table, while the wine’s acidity and bubbles keep everything fresh.
Then there is the Jura. If you really want to retire Pinot Noir for the evening, this is where I would start. Poulsard and Trousseau are two of the most interesting Thanksgiving grapes nobody is expecting. Poulsard can be remarkably pale in color, sometimes almost confusing someone into thinking you poured them a dark rosé. The wine can deliver red berries, flowers, dried herbs, earth and spice with beautiful acidity and very little heaviness. It almost seems to weave around the food.
Trousseau has a little more weight. The fruit becomes darker, the spice more pronounced and the structure slightly firmer, but it still retains the freshness that makes Jura reds so useful at the Thanksgiving table. Trousseau gives you just enough muscle for dark turkey meat, sausage stuffing or roasted mushrooms without becoming exhausting halfway through dinner.
If you want to venture outside of France, take a gander in Spain. Mencía is probably my favorite red option from Spain for Thanksgiving. In regions such as Ribeira Sacra, the grape can produce fragrant, medium-bodied wines with red and black fruit, flowers, herbs and a distinctive savory character. Good Mencía has enough acidity to stay lively but enough structure to handle turkey and gravy. It also has something Pinot Noir drinkers usually love: aromatics.
Galicia also gives us terrific whites. Godello can have enough body and texture for the meal while retaining acidity, and Albariño is nearly impossible to dislike if seafood happens to appear before the turkey. Or better yet, sparkling Albariño. Both can be excellent options for the person at the table who simply doesn’t want red wine.
Finally, do not overlook Greece. This a country that still doesn’t receive enough attention from American wine drinkers. Assyrtiko is an easy place to begin. This white wine has such zippy acidity that it makes it a natural Thanksgiving wine. The best examples also bring citrus, stone fruit, salinity and texture, all of which works amazingly with roasted poultry, vegetables and salty appetizers. The salt brings out the fruity-freshness in the wine. If someone at the table normally reaches for Sauvignon Blanc, Assyrtiko can be a fantastic way to move them somewhere new without making them feel completely lost. For red, I would look toward Xinomavro. It is more structured than most of the wines I would normally suggest for Thanksgiving, as it can be teeming with tannin and acid, but mature or thoughtfully made examples can be incredibly compelling with turkey, herbs and mushroom-heavy dishes. Red fruit, tomato, olive, spice and earthy notes make Xinomavro one of those wines that gets increasingly interesting once food arrives.
Thanksgiving already gives us plenty of traditions. The wine doesn’t have to be one of them.
Ryan Robinson is the Director of Education for Brescome Barton and Worldwide Wines in Connecticut. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of New Haven and holds the credentials of Advanced Sommelier-CMS; WSET Diploma and WSET Educator in Wine, Sake and Beer; Rioja Wine Educator; Wine Scholar Guild Educator and Spanish Wine Specialist; and Certified Scotch Whisky Professional from the Council of Whiskey Masters.
