White…red…sparkling…Sherry…

A few ideas for pairings with popular Thanksgiving dishes

My friends, Thanksgiving of course is tomorrow, and I think it is always a challenge to shop for all the ingredients you need, if you are hosting—it always seems like no matter how organized you are, you need to go to a couple different places, and it is still impossible to avoid running out at the last minute.

Of course, wine will always be at my table, and the longer your table is, the more wine you need! You might have a few favorite bottles you serve for Thanksgiving, or you might find that it’s a good time to open a special bottle that you’ve been saving. Or if you are a guest at someone else’s house, it’s always a good idea to bring over a bottle of wine, if you know that they appreciate wine…!

If you are new to pairing wine and food, it definitely does not need to be complicated, people! There are basically no rules. But they dance together when they complement each other, instead of competing for attention. So look for a wine that has the same intensity as the dish you’re serving. If you have a really creamy potato dish with a lot of butter and other flavors like garlic and herbs, you won’t want something light that you’d drink outdoors in the summer. You need something that stands up to that dish, with some acid that cuts through the fat, like a verdejo (although I’d definitely drink a verdejo outdoors…!). If you’re eating something really spicy or really bold with lots of acid, you want a wine that is softer and more aromatic—Riesling is a classic pairing for spicy food, but you might also think about a torrontes from Argentina, because you don’t see it in many places, so it tells a good story!

We talked a little bit about this last year, but I wanted to give you more of a guide this year instead of recommending specific bottles—and maybe show you some things that are easy to find at your local wine shop. They are all delicious and amazing on their own, but also will pair with many of your favorite Thanksgiving dishes. Also, most of these wines are bottles that you can find for around or under $20, so you don’t have to spend a lot of money to find something that goes well with all of your hard work.

So…let’s pop some corks!

Sparkling wine from Penedes
Of course you know I love bubbles, and especially sparkling wine made in Penedes, in Catalunya (remember the story about my friend Pepe Raventós, and his family’s 500+ year tradition of making wine???). Penedes is an amazing region for incredible sparkling wines that will not break your budget, and while you don’t need an excuse to open a bottle of bubbles, Thanksgiving is a pretty good one, especially before your meal.

Txakolina from Basque country
It’s fun to say, and it’s more fun to drink…it’s light, it’s crisp, many of them are lower in alcohol, and it’s a little fizzy. And it goes with just about everything! If you ask me, it’s the perfect way to kick off your holiday celebration.

Verdejo from Rueda
You know I have talked about white wine from Rueda in the past, and I still think it is one of the best wines you can pair with food. It’s usually made from verdejo, and it has this incredible, intoxicating aroma but also the kind of acidity you want to stand up to some of the rich foods you will see at the Thanksgiving table…of course it will complement your turkey and gravy, but it will also work nicely with vegetables like asparagus or green beans.

Albariño from Rias Baixas
This is what we call a no-brainer, people! Like Verdejo, Albariño is an amazing food wine…it has a very distinctive salinity that comes from the ocean breezes of the Atlantic, making it perfect for salty tapas snacks like olives, your traditional turkey, roasted veggies, and anything creamy.

Torrontes from Argentina
Torrontes doesn’t get enough credit or love! It’s from Argentina, and a good Torrontes will be really aromatic but still dry with some acid, so I think it’s really versatile for lots of different things you might see at the Thanksgiving table. Especially since you might see a lot of sweet and savory together (like stuffing made with cornbread)—this one will really stand out with those, and you can usually find a bottle at a very reasonable price point.

Chardonnay from Burgundy
Ok ok ok, I know I don’t talk about French wine, because I am Spanish, but because Eric Ripert is my good friend, I think it’s ok to talk about them just this once. And we carry some amazing Burgundies at The Bazaar! While many of them can get very expensive, a Petit Chablis is a good option, especially if you want to trick someone who says they don’t like Chardonnay. It’s dry and light, with good acid, and just a little oak, which makes it so good for your turkey…and mashed potatoes…and and and…

Fino or Manzanilla
Fino and Manzanilla sherries are so savory on their own so they’re a perfect complement to any savory dish—and you can find a really good one for under $20. This is where you want to lean on the experts at your local wine store and watch their eyes light up. It cuts through the richness of a lot of what you might find on a Thanksgiving table, and you might leave the holiday with a couple of sherry converts.

Riojas of all types
Not all riojas are created equal, of course—some of them are fresh and young and fruity, and some of them are smooth and complex and velvety. You usually get an amazing Rioja Crianza for around $20 (“Crianza” means it’s spent a minimum of two years aging, at least one of which was in oak). Of course, don’t overlook the Reservas and Gran Reservas either (Reservas are aged a minimum of three years, and Gran Reservas a minimum of five years, TWO of which are spent in oak). On a holiday that can favor white wine, it’s a great option for a red because it’s so versatile, even with poultry. And that doesn’t mean Rioja doesn’t have good white wine—they do! Barrel-aged white riojas like Remírez de Ganuza can be perfect with turkey.

The amazing and approachable Ultreia St Jacques from Raúl Peréz

A red from Bierzo (of course!!)
So I know I talk about my friend Raúl Pérez a lot, but he is a genius and deserves all the credit he gets. In my holiday wine recommendations last year, I mentioned his Ultreia St Jacques red blend, so I think it deserves another mention this year. We serve it at Jaleo, and it’s a bottle I think you should keep around at all times to have at home or to bring to dinner at a friend’s house, because it goes with almost everything, and it’s an incredible value for the price. If you can’t find Ultreia but you can find another Bierzo, it’s worth a try—lot of those wines are made from Mencia (also found a lot in Portugal), which is an amazing grape that can, as a young wine, be lighter and fruitier and versatile with your holiday dishes, or more complex with a little more age.

Ribera del Duero
When you think of Spanish reds, you usually think about Rioja, or its neighboring small-but-mighty region, Priorat. But I think Ribera del Duero doesn’t get enough credit. It also produces a lot of tempranillo-based wines, with tannins that provide a lot of structure and body to the wines, making them good companions for really hearty dishes—especially if your feast includes red meat (like maybe this roast???).

Garnacha from Montsant
I also think Garnacha (Grenache) doesn’t get enough credit! The thing you might notice the most about Garnacha is fruit (instead of other characteristics like oak), with nice acid that helps balance all of that rich Thanksgiving food. And it’s close to Priorat, which is also Garnacha-based, but you’re probably gonna find a bottle for a bit less than what you’d pay for Priorat. So get a case! But if you want to spring for Priorat, you cannot go wrong.

Tell me…what do you like to drink on Thanksgiving, or bring to someone’s house? Maybe someone else can pick up a tip from you!!!!