Wines to serve with your turkey this Thanksgiving
With Thanksgiving coming, it's time to stock up on a variety of wines for the holiday table. These recommendations include a "nouveau" bubbly from Maryland, a frothy way to toast the end of the rainy 2018 vintage.
We also have a lovely Beaujolais and a Cotes-du-Rhone that deliver impressive quality for their price, and two delicious great values from California.
Laurent Martray Brouilly Combiaty 2016
Beaujolais is often associated with its popular nouveau release of the recent vintage in November, but the region in fact offers a variety of wines that reward aging for a few years. Beaujolais is a popular house wine in French bistros because of its versatility with a wide array of foods. Brouilly is one of the Beaujolais "crus," or higher-level districts that have their own expressions, and 2016 was a fantastic vintage throughout France. This wine is lovely, with bright cherry and berry flavors around a minerally core, and a finish that lingers for several seconds. Alcohol by volume: 12.5 percent.
Clos du Mont-Olivet Vieilles Vignes Cotes-du-Rhone 2016
This is a Cotes-du-Rhone from a popular producer of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and it shows. This wine has nearly the heft of the more prestigious and pricey appellation, with nice depth to its flavors of dark fruit and wild herbs. ABV: 14 percent.
Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc + Viognier 2017
This wine is a perennial California favorite, and frequently available at lower than the list price. The chenin blanc lends a slightly sweet citrusy note, while the viognier contributes floral aromas and a plushness on the palate. ABV: 12.5 percent.
Fairfax Wine Company Pinot Noir 2017
Who can resist a delicious California pinot noir for under $20? They're hard to find, but this one offers classic pinot flavors of black cherry and spice with nice velvety texture. I recommend opening it (and perhaps decanting) about an hour before drinking. There is also a chardonnay for white-wine lovers. ABV: 13.8 percent.
Old Westminster Winery Piquette Field Blend Pétillant Naturel 2018
This is a fun wine, a "nouveau" from Maryland to mark the recent, very difficult and rainy vintage. It also fits in with the "pet-nat" trend of lightly sparkling wines, with no added sulfites. If you've visited a winery in autumn, this wine may remind you of the raw smell of fermenting wine. This is red, so enjoy it as you might a lambrusco. The label says "Serve cold, open slowly." I've heard of some bottles gushing when the crown cap was removed, but mine merely hissed, the wine having just a gentle froth. Virginia's label approval is still in the works, but the wine should be available within the next few weeks. ABV: 7 percent.