{"id":3723,"date":"2011-09-28T23:21:30","date_gmt":"2011-09-29T03:21:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/?p=3723"},"modified":"2013-02-15T11:53:34","modified_gmt":"2013-02-15T16:53:34","slug":"pairing-wine-with-the-thanksgiving-dinner-with-a-change-of-seasons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/pairing-wine-with-the-thanksgiving-dinner-with-a-change-of-seasons\/","title":{"rendered":"Pairing Wine with the Thanksgiving Dinner with a Change of Seasons"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We have recently returned from holidaying on the shores of Lake Erie where our family\u2019s roots run deep into the sandy banks of Long Point Bay.\u00a0 This has become an annual event for us and it\u2019s always a pleasure to relax on the quiet beach amidst the rolling waves while the shorebirds gracefully soar high above.\u00a0 We really had not been away for that long but as we unpacked the mountain of ‘stuff’ necessary for survival (and comfort), I did notice that a few leaves had begun to turn.<\/p>\n

Autumn is arguably the most beautiful season of the year and the cool afternoon breeze is always a welcome change after the sweltering heat of July and August.\u00a0 In the distance, the rustle of vibrant-coloured leaves creates an ever-changing canvas, which has an almost surreal effect on my wife Jacquie and I.\u00a0 For a moment, I though time might be standing still as we sat in the backyard watching our children rake leaves into an enormous pile only to cannonball into the middle and resurface grinning from ear-to-ear. It\u2019s beautiful here and the change of season always reminds us of yet another opportunity to gather with friends and family.<\/p>\n

This year, Thanksgiving falls on the weekend of October 8th and while synonymous with gathering and giving thanks, traditionally the second Monday in October represents the close of the harvest. To most families though, the Thanksgiving holiday is a time to gather around the table, to enjoy each other\u2019s company, and to share a wonderful meal with a few bottles of wine.\u00a0 With that, may I make a few suggestions to enhance your enjoyment of the occasion?<\/p>\n

The customary Thanksgiving dish<\/a><\/strong> is turkey or ham or both, and that opens a wealth of opportunity for pairing wine with the meal.\u00a0 But let\u2019s uncork and pour much earlier in the day shall we \u2013 perhaps just after your guests arrive \u2013 a glass of Champagne anyone?\u00a0 Now, in our house, things get quite busy and Jac likes complete control of the kitchen; a place that sadly, I am not welcome on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any other holiday for that matter\u2026\u00a0 Rather, if weather conditions permit, we head outside for a stroll through the gardens where Champagne and the crisp autumn air is a match made in heaven.\u00a0 Unfortunately though, most people still reserve sparkling wine for New Year\u2019s Eve festivities and otherwise deny themselves of its pleasures.\u00a0 Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to pop a cork and raise a glass.<\/p>\n

In terms of food and wine pairing, I think we are all familiar with the clich\u00e9:\u00a0 red with beef and white with fish and poultry but it\u2019s only a guideline, at best.\u00a0 Instead, consider matching the wine with the flavours of the meal.\u00a0 While the turkey itself is quite mild, Thanksgiving dinner is a smorgasbord of flavour intensities: stuffing, gravy, and the many side dishes can be quite rich by comparison.\u00a0 Consider a wine to match these intense flavours such as Shiraz, Riesling, or new world Chardonnay.\u00a0 On the softer side, choose a Pinot Noir or lightly oaked Chardonnay from Burgundy.<\/p>\n

With the ham, again consider the overall preparation:\u00a0 is the meat glazed with sweet flavours such as brown sugar, honey, or apricots, or will it have a tangy zest such as Dijon mustard?\u00a0 The wine should compliment this element of the dish.\u00a0 Sweet flavours call for an off-dry Riesling or light-bodied Gamay, whereas the mustard glaze combined with the saltiness of the meat works nicely with Ripasso, Gew\u00fcrztraminer, and Pinot Noir.<\/p>\n

If serving a salad, rather than vinaigrette, which clashes with every wine, try creating a dressing using the wine as a base.\u00a0 Natalie\u2019s Food\/Wine Matcher<\/a><\/strong> is a great place to discover the endless possible pairing combinations that are sure to improve your dining experience.<\/p>\n

And what is a feast without dessert?\u00a0 If you do elect to serve a dessert wine, do so prior to tea and coffee and remember that it must be at least as sweet as the dish.\u00a0 Consider something fortified such as Maderia, Sherry, or 20-year Tawny Port.\u00a0 You could also keep it seasonal and enjoy a well-chilled bottle of cranberry\/maple syrup wine; a combination like no other!<\/p>\n

A final word on the subject of temperature: No single factor is more important to the overall enjoyment of your wine than its temperature.\u00a0 With the oven and stove running all day, the kitchen may be the warmest room in the house.\u00a0 Consider storing your bottles elsewhere and never rapidly chill your wine in the freezer. Instead, a bucket of ice water will cool these bottles quickly and evenly.\u00a0 Serve sparkling wine well chilled at approximately 6\u00baC and red wine at between 16 and 18\u00baC.\u00a0 Keep your whites chilled at around 10-12\u00baC.\u00a0 Fortified wine is traditionally served on the cool side though personally, I prefer mine at room temperature.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nWith autumn and all its splendour rapidly approaching, I hope that you do take the time to enjoy the season with family and friends.\u00a0 If you decide to serve a few nice bottles, please take an extra moment or two and set the tone for a perfect day.<\/p>\n

Cheers!<\/p>\n

Tyler<\/p>\n

Tyler is the founder of North of 9 Fine Wine<\/a><\/strong>, a member of The Guild of Sommeliers, and the guy behind @TheVirtualTaste on Twitter.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Together with his collection of wine aficionados, the North of 9 Tasting Group assembles online once per month to sample and discuss wine from around the world. We endeavour to promote and educate those who enjoy a really good glass of wine through our non-biased ‘eTastings’.<\/p>\n

Rarely will I publish a review of a wine that I did not enjoy. My taste is purely individual, as is your own. If I write about a particular wine, I do so because I also want you to try it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We have recently returned from holidaying on the shores of Lake Erie where our family\u2019s roots run deep into the sandy banks of Long Point Bay.\u00a0 This has become an annual event for us and it\u2019s always a pleasure to relax on the quiet beach amidst the rolling waves while the shorebirds gracefully soar high above.\u00a0 We really had not been away for that long but as we unpacked the mountain of ‘stuff’ necessary for survival (and comfort), I did notice that a few leaves had begun to turn. Autumn is arguably the most beautiful season of the year and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-taste-wine"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3723"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3723\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3744,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3723\/revisions\/3744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}