The Perfect Wines To Pair With Thanksgiving Dinner

The beauty of Pinot Noir - the right Pinot - is that it can stand up to the gaminess of turkey yet won't overpower the meal displaying subtle, yet characteristically cherry and mushroom aromas.

Bethel Heights 'Estate Grown' is my Pinot Noir of choice this year to enjoy with Thanksgiving. I recently had dinner with, among other people, Pat Dudley, the owner of Bethel Heights Vineyard. We opened a bottle of the 2004 Estate and it is a rich, powerful wine with a nose of dark cherry fruit and earth; on the palate it reveals blackberry and black cherry flavors along with black currant. There is even a hint of mint and oak spice in the background. Entry is sweet and round with fine tannins which broadens the wine along with good acid balance carrying the wine to a long finish.

For white wine this Thanksgiving, I will be serving a terrific German Riesling by Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben. I'm selecting his 2005 Urziger Wurzgarten, Kabinett. German Rieslings are fantastic food pairing wines especially for Thanksgiving because they are refreshing, crisp whites that pair nicely with turkey, but also pair fantastically - because of their subtly sweet nature - with sides dishes such as sweet potato (candied yams) and cranberry sauce.

German Rieslings are produced in varying degrees of sweetness. 'Kabinett' is an early harvest German Riesling; although it is on the drier side, it still displays the "sweetish" nature of the grape. This Kabinett displays juiciness and stone slate, with a deep layering of kiwi, citrus, honey, nut oil, and mineral flavors.

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