I’m not entirely sure how it ended up being mid-November, but somehow today is Beaujolais Nouveau Day and Thanksgiving is only a week away!  While I don’t have a Beaujolais Nouveau to write about yet, since the wines were only released this morning at midnight, I do have some Thanksgiving wines thoughts to share.

I think because the holiday revolves around food, and a wide variety of foods at that, Thanksgiving wine is a centerpiece of for the holiday.  And, as everyone knows, when you put a large group of people together for a meal, they’re always going to have a wide variety of wine preferences.  So, today is the white wine recommendations.  All of the whites are light bodied, unoaked, and have good acidity in order to ensure that they enhance the meal without overpowering the flavors.   In particular, the bright acidity of the wines will help keep your palate fresh and will pair nicely with the side dishes, many of which have a lot of butter or may be a little sweet.

The 2009 Kunde Estate Chardonnay (winery), which I haven’t had a chance to post a review of yet, is wonderful.  The vineyard is family run and the grapes are sustainably farmed.  The wine has good lime and grapefruit flavors mixed with pineapple and ginger.  The acidity is perfect for a big Thanksgiving feast. It will please both the chard and non-chard lovers at the table. I gave the wine 3.5 corks, and while I received it for a sample, the suggested retail price is $17.

The Sawtooth Winery Riesling (winery) is a nice balance of peaches, honey, and Lemonheads candy.  The hints of minerality and the nice acidity make it very food-friendly, and it will please the guests that enjoy a slightly sweet wine without getting in the way of the foot or offending the wine drinkers that prefer a drier wine. I gave the wine 4corks and purchased it for $10.

The Tapeña Verdejo (winery, snooth) offers something a little different at the Thanksgiving table.  It has tart fruits like granny smith apples and gooseberries combined with peaches, honeysuckle and a touch of fresh cut grass.  This wine, in particular, provides a solid supporting role by enhancing the turkey flavors without drawing too much attention to itself.  In fact, this wine was much better when paired with a turkey dinner than it was on its own. I gave the wine 3.5 corks, and while I received it for a sample, the suggested retail price is $9.99.

The Mumm Napa Brut Prestige (winery, snooth)  offers a subtle complexity with lime, yeast, toast, and nectarine flavors that will help keep your palate alive.  I’m particularly excited about trying it with my mother-in-law’s sweet potato casserole. I gave the wine 4.5 corks and purchased it for $20.

The Lucien Albrecht Brut Rosé Crémant d’Alsace (winery,snooth)  has a mix of oranges, strawberries, cranberries, and pomegranates that combine with a soft, creaminess and a nice acidity to make a food friendly wine that you can keep sipping long after the meal is over.  I don’t know if it will really help digest the big meal, but it definitely seems worth trying.  I gave the wine 4 corks, and while I received it for a sample, the suggested retail price is $19.