By Ray Spaziani
Wine Talk
Ray Spaziani
The holidays once again are sneaking upon us and the usual questions abound: what wine should I serve with my holiday turkey? Holiday turkey is a meal that matches wonderfully with big reds and rich balanced whites. It is easy, flexible and individual.
My favorite is chardonnay. No matter what region, style or type, chardonnay always works with holiday turkey. My favorite is Wente. The Wente family brought chardonnay into California in the early 1930s when no one was sure chardonnay would grow in California. They proved it could, and today 90 percent of all the chardonnay grown in California is grown from the Wente clone.
Both single-fermentation, cold-weather chardonnays and double-fermentation oakey, buttery chardonnays will work with a holiday turkey. Wines from California, Chile, Australia and South Africa all work. Those from the south of France are wonderful.
My favorite red wine with a holiday turkey is pinot noir. It is bright and spicy with high acid. Pinot noir has a great degree of versatility in that it works well with traditional holiday sides. When choosing a pinot noir, note that the Old World wines are more tart with mushroom and cherry flavors. New World wines and the Aussies are much more fruit-forward and once again an individual choice.
One of the least well-known turkey matches is a grape varietal called Viognier. If you have not tried it, this holiday season would be a great time. It has honey undertones with a floral nose and a stone fruit finish. It embellishes turkey to a great degree and would be a wonderful choice.
Gamay Beaujolais is a big turkey wine, according to all of the great wine experts. I humbly disagree. Perhaps I have not had a bottle that has been sufficiently upscale. I would stay away from this one and instead try some dry Riesling.
I am sure your guests are not aware of the wonderful attributes of dry Rieslings. Great dry Rieslings are high in acid and loaded with minerals. It works great with turkey. Everyone thinks of these wines as ugly, sweet, nasty wines, but nothing can be further from the truth.
The final great turkey holiday wine is Zinfandel. It goes well with everything but especially with turkey. It is spicy, juicy and of course has notes of jam. I think it goes great with anything. Prosecco is a great way to start a holiday dinner also. During the upcoming holiday season, I hope you enjoy the company of your family and friends and bless God for all the wonderful things he has given to us.
Ray Spaziani is chapter director of the New Haven Chapter of the American Wine Society. He has taught wine appreciation classes at Gateway Community College, the Milford Board of Education, at Maltose wine and beer making suppliers and is a member of the International Tasting Panel of Amenti del Vino and Wine Maker magazine. He is an award-wining home wine maker. Email ray with your questions and wine events at realestatepro1000@gmail.com.