Norman Rockwell

Miss our Thanksgiving Pairing class and still clueless about what to imbibe on Turkey Day? Well, we can forgive the whole “skipping class” thing (but don’t let it happen again!) and have recap to boot.

Now, we couldn’t just taste wine and try to imagine how great it would be with Thanksgiving fare–we at Just Grapes had to prove it! We served up a traditional Thanksgiving meal that included stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams with candied walnuts, grilled squash, adorable tiny pies and, of course, turkey with a selection of 8 delectable wines to sample along as we ate.

First up was the light-bodied, agile 2008 Banyan Gewurztraminer. This guy is our favorite go-to for sushi and Asian cuisines, but like some kind of dynamic ninja wine, he also is a welcome addition to the Thanksgiving table. With white peach, rose petal and lychee, this delicate, aromatic and crisp wine matches the texture of turkey as well as the smoky, savory citrus of the meat. Banyan would also go great with:

-Butternut Squash Risotto with Bacon and Sage

-Seared Pork Tenderloin with Dried Fig and Mushroom Sauce

-Fast-Track Baby Back Ribs

-Pan-Seared Pork Chops

Next was the coy 2007 Diva Riesling. This off-dry, peachy Riesling has racy acidity and matched the turkey in a very similar way to Banyan: both the turkey and the Riesling are delicate in texture. However, the sweetness in the Riesling contrasts the savory of the turkey, highlighting the best in each other. Also try Diva with:

-Cumin-crusted Lamb

-Plank-Cooked Salmon

-Sirloin Steak with Beurre-Naise sauce

Our 2008 Donausonne was third, and is one of only two sweet reds we carry at the store. Action-packed with fresh strawberries, cherries and allspice, this Blaufrankisch went fantastically with the savory turkey, much in the same way we love sweet cranberry sauce with turkey. Give him a go with:

-Oven-Charred Asparagus with Cheese and Balsamic Vinegar

-Lemon-Herb-Prosciutto Shrimp

-Spice-Pained Salmon

-BBQ Chicken

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to whip out Black Chook, our sparkling Shiraz. This medium-bodied, creamy-yet-acidity red is deceptively light (hint: it’s because of the bubbles!) and when eaten with food, turns into a whole new beast. The turkey brings out the peppery spiciness of the Shiraz, while the fruits of the wine compliment the turkey. Try Black Chook with:

-Roasted Chicken

-Seared Shrimp and Chorizo

-BBQ Chicken (again.)

Next up were two of our very limited quantity Beaujolais: 2007 Louis Jadot Chateau Lumieres Morgon, and 2007 Louis Jadot Cheateau des Jacques Moulin-A-Vent. It never ceases to surprise me how these villages can be so near each other and produce such different wines! Chateau Lumieres has bright cherries, raspberries and strawberries, a little violet, with supple tannins and nice acidity. Chateau des Jacques still has those detectable fruits (though a little less ripe and crisper) with smoky meatiness to it.  The Morgon contrasted the turkey with its fresh fruit, while the Moulin-A-Vent underscored the smoky gaminess. Try both of these Gamays with:

-Bean and Black Olive Bruschetta

-Seared Tuna and Lemon

-Flank Steak with Spicy Herb Oil

-Sherry-Glazed Pork Chop with Mushrooms

Finally, we came across our two big, bad Pinots: 2007 Lucia and 2006 Alma Rosa. The more subtle, nuanced Lucia–with its floral notes, sweet spice and earth–brought out the savory aspects of the turkey while bold Alma Rosa’s medium body contrasted the turkey’s delicate texture. Pair these up with:

-Grilled Pork Loin

-Salmon Fillets

-Crispy Chicken and Shallot Hash

-Rosemary and Sweet Garlic Roast Chicken

Just because the holidays are upon us doesn’t mean that pairing delicious food with delicious wine is just a special occasion kind of deal; the fact is that most wine works with most food, so go on and pick up a bottle of wine for a middle-of-the-week dinner–it’ll make it that much more enjoyable. Be adventurous with your food/wine pairings and throw convention out the window.

Don’t forget to check out our complimentary Thanksgiving Tasting on November 25 from 4-8pm, and our exciting upcoming classes, like our December 10th Holiday Sweets and Dessert Wine class and the Bubbly and Champagne Seminar on the 17th.

The only actual champagne in the line-up, the NV Duval Leroy Cuvee “Paris” Champagne was ranked fifth.

Tasters were shocked upon our revealing each sparkler and many couldn’t believe they’d ranked Champagne fifth, but are the results truly that surprising? As Just Grapes’ Managing Director Don Sritong explained during the class, Champagne is made using “méthode Champenoise,” or the traditional method, which features an in-bottle second fermentation, requiring more personal touch and hands-on involvement than sparkling wine fermented in large vats. The Mirabelle sparkling wine, which is 71% Chardonnay 29% Pinot Noir (two of the three grapes used to make Champagne; Pinot Meunier being the third), is made through méthode Champenoise.

We believe this wine was chosen over true Champagne–and several others–because of its fruit forwardness, with a subtle strawberries & cream aroma, and notes of pear and citrus. The Duval Leroy “Paris” Champagne features the yeasty “toastiness” (that bread-like taste) that we celebrate in a great Champagne, along with notes of toasted walnut and almond, and for many who have never or rarely tasted true Champagne before, these are new and surprising characteristics in a wine.

From highest-ranked to lowest, the full results were as follows:

1. NV Schramsberg “Mirabelle,” California
2. NV Brun Terres Dorees “FRV 100″ Rose Gamay, Beaujolais, France
3. NV Gran Sarao Brut, Cava, Penedes, Spain
4. Adami Prosecco Garbel, Colbertaldo, Italy
5. NV Duval Leroy Cuvee “Paris” Champagne, France
6. NV Black Chook, Sparkling Shiraz, Australia
7. NV “Syn” Cuvee Blanc Sparkling, McLaren Vale, Australia

Thank you so much to the participants in last night’s taste-off. If you’d like to try your hand at an upcoming blind taste-off at Just Grapes, check our “upcoming events” page for “Clash of the Titans Part II: Bordeaux vs. Burgundy!”

Beaujolais is a region in France, a district of Burgundy, south of Paris. It produces Gamay grapes almost exclusively. Gamay is a light, thin-skinned red grape. It can be very, very good or very, very bad, depending on how it is handled.

About half of the wine produced in Beaujolais is labeled simply and basically Beaujolais AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controlee—a system of laws regulating grape varietals, viticulture methods, harvest and yield restrictions, minimal alcohol content and winemaking techniques for each area in France).

About half of this Beaujolais AOC wine is sold as Beaujolais Nouveau or Beaujolais Primeur. It is always released the third Thursday of November, made from that same year’s harvest just weeks earlier. Designed to be fresh, fun and fruity, it tends to suffer off-aromas and flavors because of its intensive production using carbonic maceration. It is intended to be drunk immediately; to be informal; to be inexpensive; and to invite non-wine drinkers to give it a go. It might make a bad first impression—most wine lovers don’t take it seriously, and many even despise it after tasting too much hastily made swill.

And wine labeled Beaujolais Superior AOC might not be superior to Beaujolais AOC at all. Sometimes sold as Beaujolais Nouveau as well, this wine simply has 1 percent more alcohol than the basic Beaujolais.

Beaujolais Villages AOC means the wine is a blend from two or more of the villages in Beaujolais. Here, you may find good quality Gamays, depending on the producer … or you may find Beaujolais Nouveau.

The next step up, theoretically, is Beaujolais labeled with a single village name. This may be Nouveau or it may be some of the best in the world, in which case the producers in that village would eschew the village name for the privilege of bearing the “cru” designation.

There are 10 of these Cru Beaujolais villages. Beaujolais labeled such will be a far different drink than Nouveau. Just Grapes carries an example that does the Gamay grape justice, the Joseph Drouhin, Moulin-a-Vent, 2005, Beaujolais. Moulin-a-Vent is a village in Beaujolais with a concentration of manganese in its soil that gives the Gamay intensity and power here. The Joseph Drouhin is described as deep purple, with a nose of intense fruit and spicy, ripe aromas. It has noticeable but elegant tannins and a long finish.

Whether you give the Nouveau a whirl or choose a Cru that’s more true to Gamay and good winemaking practices, the third Thursday in November is as good a day as any to show Beaujolais a little love. Maybe a cru that’s nouveau to you for the best of both worlds, at any time of the year?

Reference: The Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia, Fourth Edition, by Tom Stevenson