No matter how you slice it, turkey’s a tough pairing

In my 35 years in the wine business, the question I’ve been asked most often is, “What wine goes with turkey?” That is not to discount the thousands of different queries concerning how and why this remarkable beverage makes even White Castle cuisine rise above the ordinary. (One of my annual traditions for decades was to pick up the Beaujolais Nouveau on the third Thursday of November and pull into the nearest Castle to enjoy the great affinity between this light and fruity French dry red and those little square buns.) But Thanksgiving is unique because, for many families, it is often the only meal at which wine is a significant element. The occasion inspires even the most moderate or infrequent consumers of wine to search for that perfect bottle. When Abraham Lincoln made his 1863 “Thanksgiving Proclamation,” I am sure that he never imagined the stress that we now impart upon ourselves. There is no such thing as a perfect wine pairing for this particular meal. When attempting to choose the ideal wine for any dish, the first step is to determine two factors: the tastes of your guests and the main course. Pairing food and wine must begin with pairing people and wine – there is no point in offering what you think is the perfect wine only to find that Uncle Harry only likes a sweet Concord grape wine. The main flavor of the course you wish to match is also very important. And here is where choosing a wine for Thanksgiving dinner gets complicated, because our great American feast includes an enormous diversity of flavors. The turkey, of course, is the centerpiece. The popularity of the Butterball turkey, bred to offer more white meat, may lead many to think that a white wine is the correct choice. But the breast meat is, in reality, the only part of the meal that will actually work well with most white wines. Most of the flavors at the Thanksgiving table are better suited to red wines. The flavors of the dark meat in the leg and thigh are dramatically different from the white meat, for example. And when you add the ladles of gravy, mounds of mashed potatoes, dressing or stuffing and condiments such as cranberries, you have nothing even resembling a single flavor to attempt a wine pairing. There is actually quite a range of wines to suggest here, but it helps to think “out of the bottle” rather than focus on traditional styles and categories of wine. A red wine with lots of flavor and a minimum of mouth-puckering tannins would work. A lovely Norton or Chambourcin, for example, would ideally match the weight of the dark meat, the gravy and even the spicier, flavor-packed styles of stuffing. Pinot Noir, with its cherry-like character, and spicy Zinfandel, with its berry flavors, stand up equally well to the task. If chosen carefully, whites can also work well at the Thanksgiving feast. Overly oaked and extracted whites, like many Chardonnays and even the occasional Chardonel, can be a dominant flavor that keeps your taste buds from enjoying the subtlety of Mom’s secret stuffing recipe. What tends to work best are nonoaked, flavorful whites, including the lovely semidry styles that can easily handle extra spicing. One of my favorite companions for turkey has always been the complexly flavored Gewürztraminer; I also like the slightly sweeter styles of Riesling. Fortunately, we have two grapes in our region that perform equally well: Traminette (the vino lovechild of Gewürz) and our magnificently flavored Vignoles will generally match and add great enjoyment to this great annual culinary gathering. Both of these varieties work equally well because of their crisp acidity, whether they are made into a dry or semidry style. Don’t overlook sparkling wines. They are seldom used during meals but always work well, as the refreshing carbonation and natural acidity makes them stellar for dining. Most states produce some type of sparkling wine. These will typically range from very dry (brut) to sweeter styles, often labeled as spumante. Very few other wines will show as well when served at the beginning, during or at the end of a meal. You may have noticed that I did not mention Champagne, Bordeaux, Italian or German wines. There is obviously such a wealth of stellar-quality wines produced in America that it seems natural to enjoy them at this particular feast. I’d suggest you go one step further and enjoy local wines with your family and friends for this meal. For many years now, I’ve served only Missouri at my Thanksgiving table. With more than 100 wineries in Missouri and Illinois, there are countless opportunities for celebrating America’s greatest banquet.