Neat Thoughts About Food, Wine, Travel & More
Beautifully-made Napa Cabernet. Deep purple in the glass, this wine displays a deep berry, very fragrant nose in the glass. In the mouth, it’s rich and well-balanced with plummy qualities and traces of coffee and cocoa.
Wish I could put a couple cases in my cellar to drink in 10 years.
Pairings: Grilled beef. Cheese course.
Style: Red
Grape Type(s): Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Napa Valley, California
Around $60
One super wine. It’s big and bold yet refined. Made from 100 year-old vines, this wine tastes of jammy sweet red fruit with deep earthy flavors and fine tannins.
If you ever have the chance to sample this Portuguese wine from the Douro region, jump at it.
Pairings: Grilled beef or lamb. Pasta with red sauce. Macaroni and cheese.
Style: Red
Grape Type(s): Touriga Nacional, Tinta Amarela, Sousao
Region: Douro, Portugal
Around $80
Dark ruby in the glass, this Merlot offers a ripe cherry nose with some earthy notes. In the mouth, it’s a combination of dark berries with some chocolate undertones. The finish is uber dry and lovely.
This wine could really use some breathing time and decanting for a good 30 minutes to help open it up.
Nice Merlot, especially at this price point.
Style: Red
Grape Type(s): Merlot
Region: Sonoma, California
Around $20
Thanksgiving is an American tradition of family, friends, food and football. When it comes to which wine is best paired with the star of the meal, the turkey, there are many opinions.
Here are five of my favorite American pinot noirs that pair beautifully with your bird, and its accompaniments.
Have any turkey day wine favorites? Please share them!
Cheers,
Veronique
I simply love this wine. It’s not easy to come by in New Jersey, where I live, but when I’ve been able to secure a few bottles, I’ve enjoyed it tremendously.
The 2006 Tantara Bien Nacido Adobe Pinot Noir is dark ruby in the glass and pretty full-bodied for a California pinot noir. On the nose, there’s a ton of dark raspberries with notes of nutmeg and clove. On the palate, it’s all about ripe cherries with lots of earthiness, cherry cola, allspice and notes of mocha. The finish is long and silky/velvety. Just a perfect wine paired with roast chicken, wild mushroom risotto or grilled salmon.
Tantara Winery is a smaller producer and only about 200 cases of this little gem were produced, so get your hands on a bottle and enjoy. Read about my love of Tantara here.
Style: Red Wine
Grape Type(s): Pinot Noir
Region: Central Coast, CA
Around $50
I have had the opportunity to visit Merry Edwards’ beautiful vineyard and tasting room and can say she makes some of my favorite pinot noirs. At a recent dinner party, I served the 2007 Merry Edwards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir to the pleasure of my guests.
This wine is dark ruby in the glass. On the nose, it’s pure Russian River pinot noir – ripe, dark berries with layers of earthiness and peppery notes. On the palate, it’s rich, velvety with tons of juicy cherries. The finish is long, elegant and silky.
If you don’t want to splurge on one of Merry’s single vineyard wines, this is an amazing wine at this price point.
Style: Red Wine
Grape Type(s): Pinot Noir
Region: Russian River Valley / Sonoma, CA
Around $45
The Ingle Vineyard Pinot Noir is pale in the glass but medium-bodied and bright with juicy berries and cherries on the palate. There’s a silky mouthfeel to this wine and there are notes of fir, pumpkin pie spice and cracked pepper. Classic Burgundy in style and delicious at this price point.
Style: Red Wine
Grape Type(s): Pinot Noir
Region: Finger Lakes, NY
Around $20
I had the pleasure to sampling this wine at a recent tasting and much like the other Cabernet Sauvignon is Cakebread’s repertoire, I thought it was outstanding.
In the glass, this Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is dark and onctuous. Just beautiful. The nose on the 2007 Cakebread Dancing Bear Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon is intense with mashed ripe cherries and dark raspberries. There are notes of pumpkin pie spices and mocha. On the palate, it’s bold yet smooth. There’s dark chocolate, pine needles, juicy stone fruits and loads of ripe fruit. A complex, rich, opulent wine with rounded tannins that last through a long finish.
Style: Red Wine
Grape Type(s): 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc
Region: Napa Valley, California
Around $100
Vibrant purple in the glass (like it already). There’s a little smoke on the intense ripe fruit nose (like it even more). On the palate, it’s a mouthful of cherries with a medium body that offers a long sweet finish (love it).
Style: Red Wine
Grape Type(s): Pinot Noir
Region: Burgundy, France
Around $25
Sampled this beauty at a tasting last week where it was poured alongside other stars and it was super. This wine is considered the original Super Tuscan and it remains a top Italian wine.
In the glass, it’s medium garnet. On the nose, it’s dense, rich and oaky. There are aromas of ripe fruit, grilled bread and mocha with hints of fir, cracked black pepper and leather. On the palate, it’s chewy with ripe, lush berries, chocolate and stone fruits. Slight tannins on a long, smooth finish.
Style: Red Wine
Grape Type(s): 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc
Region: Tuscany, Italy
Around $79
Recent Comments