What are You Drinking for Thanksgiving 2009?

[saint]

We usually have a Grand or Premier Cru red Burgundy with Thanksgiving dinner, but this year I am going to change things up and serve a 1999 Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne. As an aperitif I am serving Kirkland Champagne (I'm curious about it given the quality of the Kirkland Macallan bottlings). The dessert wine will be 1990 Ch. Suduiraut, but I'll also open a bottle of Dow 1977 at some point during the evening.

The dinner will be traditional: turkey, dressing, yams, sprouts etc. Appetizers will be Jambon Iberico, olives, almonds, gougere etc. Dessert will be pumpkin chiffon pie and if I get ambitious pumpkin creme brulee.

What are you drinking for Thanksgiving?

 

[Crakaveli]

gravy

 

[ama]

Cool thread. I'm going to be pairing the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection with different courses in the meal. I think I'm going to open with the Eagle Rare 17 followed by the Saz 18 for salad and soup respectively. The main course will feature George T. Stagg and Thomas H. Handy, desert, William Larue Weller. I'll also have some nice California Cabs and Chards available. Should be nice.

 

[Bartolo]

Ramonet Chassagne Montrachet this year. 2005 Les Ruschottes. No, we're not having company

 

[pscolari]

After all the talk about Zin, and seeing the replies leading people to Ridge, I think I will give them a try this year. I'll probably start with the Three Valleys and see how that goes.

 

[Huntsman]

Cocktails will probably be Alabazams, Old Fashioneds, or Sazeracs.

Between the sausage in the stuffing and the old family recipe uncooked cranberry relish that we serve, there are few wines that can manage, but only one I've found is ideal: Gewurtztraminer. The acidity and the slight sweetness holds up to the relish and cuts through the gravy while the spiciness works well with the pepper of the sausage in the stuffing. With the meal I serve this match seems truly inspired.

For reasons of tradition, I make Thanksgiving dinner identically as my mother did every year, which requires that dessert be her coconut creme pie, which doesn't pair well with most cocktails or dessert wines, so that might be served with Zacapa 23 or just coffee. Probably won't be interested in dessert wine by that time, but a split of '01 Doisey-Vedrines could be opened. Maybe even the Guiraud or Rieussec, but I doubt it. More likely a glass of Calvados, Grappa, or Grand Marnier Centenaire will end it. I find it hard to plan definitely beyond the wine (which is largely dictated by the pairing with the food) to allow room for the feelings of the moment to interpose themselves.


~H

 

[spudnik99]

I'm drinking enough to deal with my Dittohead, Beck-paranoid aunt's husband.

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by spudnik99

I'm drinking enough to deal with my Dittohead, Beck-paranoid aunt's husband.

What's he drinking to deal with you?

 

[ama]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

What's he drinking to deal with you?

Beck is going to go shot for shot with him while listening to Odelay.

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by ama

Beck is going to go shot for shot with him while listening to Odelay.

 

[Montrachet]

I think I'm going to go with Meritage for Thanksgiving this year. Maybe I'll make that the new tradition, because it seems especially fitting due to its American-ness.

 

[AntiHero84]

I always stock up on Natty Boh when I go home for Thanksgiving, but a new micro-brew could be nice...

 

[saint]

Originally Posted by Huntsman

Cocktails will probably be Alabazams, Old Fashioneds, or Sazeracs.

Between the sausage in the stuffing and the old family recipe uncooked cranberry relish that we serve, there are few wines that can manage, but only one I've found is ideal: Gewurtztraminer. The acidity and the slight sweetness holds up to the relish and cuts through the gravy while the spiciness works well with the pepper of the sausage in the stuffing. With the meal I serve this match seems truly inspired.

For reasons of tradition, I make Thanksgiving dinner identically as my mother did every year, which requires that dessert be her coconut creme pie, which doesn't pair well with most cocktails or dessert wines, so that might be served with Zacapa 23 or just coffee. Probably won't be interested in dessert wine by that time, but a split of '01 Doisey-Vedrines could be opened. Maybe even the Guiraud or Rieussec, but I doubt it. More likely a glass of Calvados, Grappa, or Grand Marnier Centenaire will end it. I find it hard to plan definitely beyond the wine (which is largely dictated by the pairing with the food) to allow room for the feelings of the moment to interpose themselves.

~H

Cranberry sauce/relish is definitely a wine killer. I usually wait until seconds on food or my third or fourth glass of wine before I put it on my plate.

Coconut creme pie is great, but, as you suggest kind of difficult to pair. I'd try a PX sherry or, better a Bual or Malmsey Madeira, the acidity should cut through the creaminess of the pie, and if you're lucky it'll have some tropical fruit flavor to it that'll play off the coconut nicely.

 

[BrettChaotix]

We'll have the usual mixup of various <$20 wines for dinner (several guests bring bottles) and a variety of beer for before dinner. A handful of the old guys might have scotch afterwards. Nothing fancy over here.

 

[grundletaint]

with dinner, booker's.

after dinner, white russians.

after that, death.