I like to post my annual Thanksgiving wine recommendations in the prior week, so people have time to read them and then shop for them.
As a locavore and also as a historian, I promote drinking locally, especially since Thanksgiving is an East Coast American tradition. Here are a couple of guidelines if you plan to observe Thanksgiving with a traditional menu:
You can find the best wine matches for the traditional menu with East Coast/Midwest wines instead of West Coast/European wines.
Think “ABC”, or “anything but Chardonnay and Cabernet.” You need vibrant, fruity wines with good acidity to match the rather heavy/fatty Thanksgiving fare, and reds should be low tannin varieties like Chambourcin, Norton, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir or Gamay.
Look for wines made from these varieties:
WHITE WINES
For vinifera (European grape varieties), I recommend:
Riesling
Gewürztraminer
Viognier
Petit Manseng
Pinot Gris (not grigio)
Vermentino
Vermentino is a white Italian grape that has an aroma with Meyer lemon and hints of tropical fruit, medium weight, and tangy acidity that is very stylish.
Petit Manseng is an obscure white grape from the Jurancon region of France that was recommended to be planted in Virginia by retired Virginia Tech viticulturist Tony Wolf. It has thick skins and is rot-resistant so it works in the vineyard, and it is like Riesling with big fruit and also high acidity. It can be made in styles between dry and very sweet.
Petit Manseng has become a real regional star for Virginia white wines, as it’s not really made as a varietal elsewhere (even in France). In March, a Petit Manseng by Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton made a dry style which not only won a gold medal in the Governor’s Cup Wine Competition but also placed in the Governor’s Case (top twelve-scoring wines of the competition). Here’s what Rob Cox, the winemaker for Paradise Springs, says about their 2022 Petit Manseng: “Petit Manseng is often made into a late harvest dessert wine, however our version is a dry style with
tropical notes and citrus zest. It is a fuller-bodied white with lots of pineapple and lemon
intensity on the palate, which is emphasized by the amount of acidity that the variety is
known for.”
For white hybrids, I recommend:
Traminette (a hybrid from Cornell University; one parent is Gewürztraminer, the other is a Seyve white French hybrid)
Vidal blanc (a long-standing French hybrid that does well from the Midwest to the East Coast, making an aromatic Loire Valley-style white wine from dry to dessert-style)
Diamond (also known as Moore’s Diamond, an old American hybrid that is delicately floral/aromatic and can make elegant wine from dry to sweet styles)
RED WINES
For vinifera (European grape varieties), I recommend:
Pinot Noir
Gamay (Noir)
Blaufränkisch/Lemberger (an Austrian grape with boysenberry-like fruit, low tannins but bright, fresh acidity)
For red hybrid grapes, I recommend:
Chambourcin (long-standing French hybrid making dark-colored reds with bright red cherry aromas and flavors and fresh acidity, like a hybrid version of Gamay)
Norton (“Virginia’s grape”, an accidental hybrid that is ¼ vinifera, with unique and assertive dark plum flavors and fresh acidity)
Chancellor (seen more in Michigan and New York than in the Mid-Atlantic, with nice black cherry and berry flavors, moderate to low tannins and balanced acidity).
Blends
Consider blends as well as varietals. Muse Vineyard’s Non-Vintage “Erato”, a blend of 82% Vidal Blanc, 7% Picpoul, 4% Muscat and a bit each of Albarino, Marsanne and Roussanne, won the Shenandoah Valley Cup this year, and is a good example of an elegant, stylish wine that combines fresh fruitiness with depth and a little weight, and is a great candidate for a Thanksgiving wine.
My Personal Favorites
These are my personal favorites for matching with a traditional Thanksgiving menu:
- 12 Ridges Vineyard Riesling 2022, 2021 (VA) I didn’t know Virginia had a vineyard that was capable of making world-class Riesling until last year, when I visited 12 Ridges at milepost 25 on the Blue Ridge Parkway (about a mile north of Rt. 53). The elevation at the vineyard is 3,300 ft. which reduces disease pressure, keeps a high natural acidity in the grapes, and the result are wines that resemble those of Alsace, Germany, Burgundy and Champagne. This Riesling is complex but harmonious, with smoky apple fruit, like a freshly baked apple tart, mineral hints and a touch of petrol on the nose. The palate is concentrated yet racy, with brilliant acidity deftly balanced with yellow apple and nectarine flavors. Palate volume is large and fills the mouth but with fine integration of all elements, to a very long, dry, clean finish. The 2021 vintage is sold out, but if you have it, I recommend that too which is stylistically similar.
- Pollak Vineyards Pinot Gris 2022 (VA): Pinot Gris is one of my favorite grape varieties for Thanksgiving, but it must be made in the Alsatian style, with ripe fruit and rich texture on the mid-palate, and fresh acidity on the finish. Anything labeled “Pinot Grigio” is the same grape but made in the Italian style, which is much lighter in weight and no real fruit character. This is a fine example of the style, with fresh fruity nectarine flavors, full texture on the mid-palate, and zesty acidity on the finish.
- Ankida Ridge Pinot Noir 2022 (VA) Ankida Ridge Vineyards have proven that world-class Pinot Noir can be made in Virginia. The 2022 vintage is a little lighter than the rich 2021 vintage, but that makes it a better match for Thanksgiving fare, with bright, fresh red cherry aromas and a hint of baking spice, and like flavors on the palate, with moderate alcohol and zippy acidity.
- Red Tail Ridge Dry Riesling Estate 2023 (NY) This winery is on west Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York, where Riesling is king. This dry Riesling is easy to drink and not as bracingly acidic as young Rieslings can be from the area. I like the forward, ripe peachy fruit and the fine balance with fresh acidity.
The Monticello AVA has its own competition each year, and here are gold medals that will pair well with Thanksgiving:
Gold Medals from Monticello Cup:
Wisdom Oak Winery – 2021 Sparkling Rosé
Loving Cup Vineyard – 2023 Loving Cup White
Veritas – 2021 Momentarius- Monticello White (a blend with Chardonnay, Petit Manseng and Sauvignon Blanc)
Eastwood Farm & Winery – 2023 Petit Manseng (sweet)
Gold Medals and “Governor’s Case” wines from the VA Wine Governor’s Cup
Paradise Springs Winery – 2022 Petit Manseng (dry)
Barboursville Vineyards – 2019 Paxxito (dessert wine)
Cider
Finally, cider is a fine candidate for a low-alcohol locavore beverage that pairs well with Thanksgiving fare. Styles also vary widely. For Virginians, check out https://virginiacider.org/explore-cideries/ to learn more about our many local cideries.