A mix of European and Native traditions, Thanksgiving originated from European festivals that were held before and after the harvest cycles to give thanks for a good harvest. At the same time, Native Americans had also celebrated the end of a harvest season in what is now called America. When Europeans first arrived to the Americas, they brought with them their own harvest festival which celebrated their safe voyage, peace and good harvest.
Today, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. Federal legislation in 1941 made this holiday official though this annual tradition has been prevalent in the United States since 1863.
The holiday is often associated with families and friends gathering across a feast table, giving thanks and enjoying dishes from greens and yams to hams and the traditional stuffed turkey. With this white bird you may think of whites wines, but recently reds have found a way to the table to accompany all of the flavours of the season. Here are a couple of wines of interest.
For Starters:
Cava - Segura Viudas Reserva Heredad Brut, NV, 12% ABV (Spain)Only Champagne can come from from France, so other countries have been making sparklers to keep up with the trend. A sparkling wine cleanses the palate and this bottle will surely be the talk of the table with its elegant packaging. This sparkling Chardonnay is straw yellow in colour and has a nose that is lightly smokey, with hints of honey. The palate is strong with dried fruits.
For the Main Course:
Gruner Vetliner – Josef Bauer, 2008, 12% ABV (Australia)For the lighter palate, I offer this value selection which I just tried last night. This wine goes through stainless steel fermentation, thus creating clean, bright aromas of green apples. The palate is as well energetic and full of minerally, apple fruit and a little of the classic white pepper associated with most Gruners.
Viognier – White Hall, 2009, 14% ABV (White Hall, VA)In my continued attempt to sway consumers towards Virginia wines and away from the over-oaked California Chardonnays, I offer this alternative. This wine has a nose of peaches and apricots and an intense palate of citrus (orange and grapefruit) with slight spice and a finish of soft vanilla.
Grenache – Writer's Block (Steele), 2009, 14% ABV (Lake County, CA)I am a huge fan of the Writer's Block series and this one is no exception. It's lighter body (compared to their fuller varietals of their Cabernet and Syrah) pairs well with all side dishes at the table including the canned cranberry. This wine has hints of strawberry and cherry on the nose and a lightly spicy finish.
The Ending:
Port – Warre's Otima 10 Year Tawney Port (Porto, Portugal)A perfect ending to a huge meal is always a good glass of wine. Otima is a great port that comes in both 10 and 20 year agings. This wine is full of aromas of almonds, died apricots, cocoa, and rich vanilla from oak barrel aging. It will work well with the spice of a rich pumpkin pie.
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