With Thanksgiving just around the corner, consider sharing some delicious wines with those that gather round by turning your favorite sides into food and wine pairs worth celebrating.
Yes, there is something to be said about just enjoying a favorite bottle of wine when celebrating together, but well-crafted pairings are the difference between “yum” and “wow.” Wine and food combinations essentially are synergies – ways in which food and wine work together and rely on the scientific principles of taste to elevate flavors in both the food and the wine. Balancing flavors is key.
After a recent visit to It’s All About Wine here in Springfield to pick up a special bottle of bubbly to celebrate the birth of our upcoming baby boy, co-owner and general manager Zach Sweet and I began chatting about great wines he recommended for Thanksgiving celebrations. He selected a short list that jives 100% with the sentiments of worldwide experts in wine pairing, Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, so let’s dive into how these wines work as really great pairs for the foods we love to indulge in on Thanksgiving Day.
Because there are always room for bubbles, consider pairing the non-vintage Marc Hebrart Cuvee de Reserve, a midweight French champagne of 82% pinot noir and 18% chardonnay, with a lesser common side that is must-have in my family – oyster dressing. The version my family makes uses very few ingredients: butter, crackers, scalded milk, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and of course oysters. The reason that this simple dish works so well with the champagne has to do with a couple of guiding principles:
- A rich dish on its own because of its commitment to butter begs for the crispy bubbles to dissipate the fats. In case you have room while watching football later, this same principle works between buttery popcorn and champagne.
- Another reason this is a great side has to do with a lesser-known taste – umami. Both oysters and champagne carry a fair amount of umami. Dead yeast from the champagne making process presents umami in the champagne and elevates the umami flavor central to the connective tissues of the oysters. Double dipping on this flavor sense is scientifically supposed to make us feel satisfied. Sign me up for a double dose, please.
Next, if you are looking to satisfy a split crowd of only red vs. only white drinkers, consider both the 2020 Bergstrom Old Stones Chardonnay and/or the 2021 Patricia Green Cellars Estate Vineyard Old Vine Pinot Noir. Both of these examples of wines from Willamette Valley are great pairs with turkey to start and can certainly be elevated when brined with a sachet containing a combination of flavors like garlic, thyme and tarragon. Because a little dab of tart and acidic cranberry sauce also balances the rich flavors of the roasted turkey, consider adding whole cloves to the cranberries along with a little orange zest when cooking fresh ones down, and you have certainly raised the pairing bar.
Finally, there is no reason to end your fabulous food day pairing just because you move to dessert, so this year snag a bottle of something that may be less familiar to your guests and watch their eyes light up as they indulge in a delicious sipper called Pedro Ximénez alongside the traditional pumpkin pie. While this may be a bit outside the box for many, this sherry from the southern part of Spain whispers a certain walnut-iness that is super tasty with the caramel notes of the classic pumpkin pie.
Many toasts to a very happy Thanksgiving and a fabulous way to kick off to the holiday season. Cheers!
About
Lincoln Land Community College offers credit programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management and Baking/Pastry, and non-credit cooking and food classes through LLCC Community Education.
Cooking or food questions? Email epicuriosity101@llcc.edu.