Each November people everywhere in the US start obsessing over Thanksgiving. It’s not hard to understand the preoccupation with this holiday. Who doesn’t like a day dedicated to food and thanks? But if we’re totally honest with ourselves, it’s mainly about food. Most people are not absorbed in their thanks during the weeks leading up to turkey day, they’re obsessing over the menu. And rightly so; it takes a lot of planning to cook for a swarm of hungry friends and family. Especially when they are constantly invading the kitchen volunteering their meager domestic skills (IE, eating anything edible on the counter tops). But there’s usually something lacking in each magically delicious meal; the drink menu. I know many people prefer to drink wine with any formal dinner but I know very few who take the time to pair it correctly with dinner. Still, even more turn their noses up at beer on the formal table. Sure, beer bottles aren’t that pretty and they’re certainly not formal but that’s what pilsner glasses are for. Just to make your hectic holiday a bit less hectic, MDC decided to take the guess work out of beer and wine paring.
- Traditional Turkey – Amber ale or a lager ( like Oktoberfest), brown ale (try a Dundee or Newcastle Variety) or a strong golden ale
- Smoked Turkey – a hoppy brown ale, Scotch ale or porter
- Ham – Weizen, wiezenbock, dubbel or dark lager
- Pumpkin pie – Spiced ale, winter warmer or old ale
- Pale Ales: An versatile beer that works with most of your fest and clears the palate.
Wine Suggestions:
from Stacy Slinkard, About.com Wine Guide
Traditional Thanksgiving meals go hand in hand with a good glass of wine! And thankfully there are plenty of Thanksgiving wine pairing options to suit virtually every palate when it comes to partnering favorite wines with turkey. For red wine enthusiasts Pinot Noir is one of the all time favorites and for good reason – it’s low tannin content allows it to meld well with turkey meat mixed with seasonal sides. White wine lovers can’t go wrong with either a Riesling or a Sauvignon Blanc. The herby, earthy qualities found in many Sauvignon Blancs make a perfect complement to the herb-filled stuffing and well seasoned mashed potatoes.
Best Thanksgiving White Wines
Top Red Wine Thanksgiving Options
Rosé and Sherry wines, along with the aforementioned sparkling wine category are also worthy of consideration for Thanksgiving wine pairing potential.
Sources:
http://beer.about.com/od/beertastinganddrinking/a/HolidayBeerPair.htm
http://cocktails.about.com/od/foodbeveragepairing/f/turkey_pairing.htm
http://wine.about.com/od/holidayswithwine/a/thanksgivingwin.htm
