Burgundies For Thanksgiving
The most traditional first choice for Thanksgiving wines has been burgundies, which I have not capitalized here because I'm really not going to write about wines from the French Burgundy Region. These have become fabulously expensive over the past five years because France has enjoyed some of its finest vintages since World War II. However, there are alternate regions in France where both classic white and Pinot Noir grapes are expressed nearly as well as in Burgundy itself, and of course, here in the United States, we have wineries making world class wines from these grapes.
Recently, I've had a couple that you should still be able to find that would be excellent values at your holiday table. The first is a white Cotes du Rhone made for and bottled by the House of E. Guigal. This is a classic version of the white wines from this region, dry with a hint of mineral, medium body, and balanced by a floral lemon-like flavor this is sure to set off your turkey breast and stuffing. This wine is a terrific value at somewhere between $12 and $15. The 2007 vintage was excellent in France, making this choice all the better value.
The other I would recommend is an Oregon-made Pinot Noir, 2005 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve. This wine is everything a red burgundy should be...complex, smooth, medium body, attractive color and smell. It tastes very much like dark cherries, but dry and with only a hint of sweetness. This is a wine that would easily rate in the mid-90s on just about anyone's tasting scale, as it is supremely well-balanced and integrated...one of the finest made American Pinot Noirs I've ever had. This wine is relatively pricy at around $60, but I think it's worth the money. These grapes were estate-grown, and the wine in the “reserve” bottling was hand selected from the overall production.
You may have to visit the Domain Serene web site to find this, although I got my 2005 at a local store. They are currently shipping the 2006 vintage. Here is a link to their web site: