Uncertainties and questions linger for this year’s Thanksgiving feast.
With COVID-19 cases surging, how many family members from out of town will be able to make the trip? Should an order be placed for a turkey or for a smaller alt-bird? Should there be fewer sides and desserts?
But there is a silver lining for oenophiles. A wider selection of quality reds, whites and alt-wines is available at better deals at Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s Fine Wine and Good Spirits stores.
Josh Hull, wine buyer for the Chairman’s Selection and Chairman’s Advantage programs, said he has been able to secure better deals on quality wines because of supply interruptions to restaurants and other retail outlets. The initial shutdowns and virus safety restrictions that followed hampered demand from restaurants and bars.
“There were a lot of wines that needed to be sold,” he says. “In a normal year, we might have not had that. We have more highly rated wines in the program than ever, even from regions like Napa Valley where discounts are usually hard to come by.”
It came with some headaches, however. The pandemic affected global supply chains, especially when countries instituted travel bans. So it was difficult for him to get wines in a timely manner. On the domestic side, some warehouses were closed for precautionary reasons, which made it difficult to stock up on wines in spring and summer.
“Once things opened up, we were able to get the wines in stores in time for the holidays,” he says.
With a lot more to choose from in the Chairman’s Selection, Mr. Hull uncorks some timely advice on wines to buy for your holiday meal, however big or small it might be.
Pick a really versatile wine that complements everything from the turkey and stuffing to the vegetable sides and cranberry sauce. The wine needs to go with the sweet, savory and umami flavors that it is paired with, letting the foods speak for themselves.
It’s OK to mix and match several types of wines and go all over the map with grape varietals. He recommends about a half a bottle or two or three moderate glasses per person over a long meal, provided the imbiber is not driving.
Mr. Hull likes to stick to higher acid, light- to medium-bodied wines. It’s best to stay away from super ripe and high-alcohol reds like a young cabernet aged in oak barrels or a big zinfandel. The heavy oak influence will not allow the food to shine through, he says, but at the same time, you don’t want something so light that the food is too heavy for the wine.
He prefers dry wines and stays away from very alcoholic or sweet wines because they tend “to impart sweetness in a dish that really wasn’t there before.”
However, desserts need to be paired with a sweet wine.
“When a dish is very high in sugar, the wine should match up with that,” he says. “Otherwise the wine will come across very angular and overly tart. Also, the pumpkin or pecan pie will overpower the wine.”
Overall, holiday wines should harmonize with the roasted turkey, have the acidity to stand up to the cranberry sauce, and cut through buttery vegetable sides with a mix of spice, fruit and earth.
“For Thanksgiving, you are not eating one or two things but more like seven, eight or nine,” Mr. Hull says. “You want the foods to stand out on their own and create a synergy with the wine.”
Here are some of his suggestions from the Chairman’s Selection to break out for Thanksgiving:
Versatile red
Boedecker Cellars Pinot Noir ($14.99): “It’s a great pinot noir from Willamette Valley, Ore., which is medium-bodied and has bright acidity. It has a savory element but also some fruit that you expect from the West Coast. It has nice dark cherry and raspberry notes and a touch of earth. Everything comes together beautifully in this 2016 vintage, and it will marry so well with all the courses on the table.”
Versatile white
Empire Estate Dry Riesling ($11.99): “Rieslings are so underrated and deserve more respect. We have not had ones from the Finger Lakes in the Chairman’s Selection in a long time because they don’t normally need to discount their wines. This is a great 2017 vintage from that region. It is a drier style with a beautiful ripe peach flavor and a wonderful mouthfeel. The acidity is so on point — precise and chiseled.”
Tania & Vincent Carême Terre Brûlée Chenin Blanc ($9.99): “The Swartland chenin blanc is from a producer, Vincent Careme, based in France and his wife, Tania, who is from South Africa. Like riesling, it has a high acid level. But the 2019 vintage has a honeysuckle and rounded mouthfeel. It also is supported by some orchard fruits and a mineral edge. It perfectly balances the Old World with the New World.”
For vegetarians and pescatarians
Albanta Albariño Sobre Lias Rias Baixas ($11.99): “The 2019 white from the Rias Baixas region of northwest Spain has a floral-citrus note and a saltiness to it. It is a tremendous buy at that price. If you like a sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio, you would like an albarino. Also, if you like crisp, dry and lighter-bodied white, pick the Albanta.”
Fruity and spicy
Inama Carmènére Piu Veneto Rosso ($13.99): “A red that marries the fruity and spicy notes well is the 2016 vintage from Veneto, Italy. It has a rich cranberry and raspberry fruit and a great spice and creamed herb character. The plumper, medium-bodied wine is a perfect red to have on the table.” Piu means more in Italian, and the wine has more than just carmenere — it also has some merlot.
Earthy
Annick Bachelet Morgon Les Charmes ($13.99): “If you have a lot of root vegetables, earthy mushrooms or savory sides, the 2018 vintage from Southern Beaujolais [France] will pair perfectly with them. It has fruit as it is a young Beaujolais, but it has a ton of savory that you can get right on the nose. You can smell the granite and fresh herbs in this wine made with gamay from Annick Bachelet.”
Great gift
Jean Claude Mas Jardin de Roses Languedoc Rosé ($12.99): “The rose from Jean Claude Mas is so approachable. It is very crisp and floral and also has a blend of strawberry and mineral undertones. And there is the bottle. It is gorgeous and makes for a perfect gift.
Gabriel Meffre Domaine de Longue Toque Gigondas ($19.99): “It is a great red from France’s Rhone Valley that usually sells for $44. It is nuanced and something special.”
Bang for the buck
Bodegas Casa Primicia Rioja Crianza ($9.99): “It is a steal as the quoted price is $18. The medium-bodied red from Rioja, Spain, has a brisk acidity. The 2016 vintage beautifully balances plumy cherry fruit with some leather characteristics.”
Must-try splurge
Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Monfalletto ($37.99): “It is an unbelievable deal and an unbelievable wine. It is not cheap but it typically goes for $60. A minty floral aroma comes bursting out of the glass, and I could not believe how open the 2016 vintage is. Just incredible. The red wine grape is nebbiolo, and it is from Piedmont, Italy. It can be a good gift to someone who is very discerning on their Italian wines. This is serious, serious stuff.”
Something different
Zuccardi Q Cabernet Franc ($12.99): “When people think of Argentina they think malbec. But this cabernet franc is beautifully expressed in the Uco Valley in Mendoza and is from Zuccardi’s premium lines. It has a roasted pepper note and a tobacco edge and makes you think about a wide range of flavors and aromas. It is not quite as heavy as a cabernet sauvignon but is more elegant. It is a wine to ponder.”
Qupé Marsanne ($9.99): “The dry white from the Los Olivos District in California has a smoked honey feel to it. It also has a melted butter feel, which is more like a caramelized butter than a chardonnay butter. It is very unique.”
Bubbly and sparkling
Sterling Vineyards Blanc de Blancs Sparkling ($10.99): “This chardonnay-based sparkler from Sterling Vineyards, California, has a creamy, spicy mouthfeel and cleansing bubbles. You cannot miss the bottle, which looks metallic, and you cannot beat the price. It is the bottle to pop open when the Steelers beat the Ravens on Thanksgiving night.”
A sweet ending
Hardys Whiskers Blake Classic Tawny 10 Year Old ($8.99): You can go with a late-harvest riesling or a port for pies and cakes, but this lush tawny from Southeastern Australia is a knockout. At $8.99, it’s a crazy price. It is so aromatic, almost like melted caramel or butterscotch. You don’t have to drink it; you can just smell it all night.”
Arthi Subramaniam: asubramaniam@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1494.
First Published: November 11, 2020, 12:00 p.m.
Updated: November 17, 2020, 10:01 p.m.
