Beer or Wine – The Perfect Thanksgiving Pairing
As a foodie and an admirer of both craft beer and fine wines, I often wonder what the perfect food pairing is. What follows is a monthly debate on just that. Once a month I’ll toss out a food for pairing suggestions from my fellow beer geeks and wine nerds. Some dishes will come with a convention that popular opinion dictates a specific pairing. Other posts will present a dish that is a toss-up between beer or wine. I look forward to hearing your suggestions in this conversation. Be creative, challenge norms, have fun, and check back often to read what others have to say.
November’s pairing challenge falls early this month in anticipation of the Thanksgiving feast – succulent turkey, sweet glazed ham, candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing studded with Italian sausage, green bean casserole (simple, yet so delicious), cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, etc. Family and friends gathering together to celebrate our heritage and to give thanks. A day to forget about the bad and be grateful for the good in our lives. Raising a glass in gratitude for the beauty and abundance life has delivered us. What will be in your glass?
As much as I embrace the craft beer movement, I can’t yet swap wine for beer at traditional dinners like Thanksgiving. I typically bring two bottles of wine to the Thanksgiving table. I like to start off with an off-dry Riesling. Maybe something from Washington. The subtleness of the juice introduces the meal well with slight citrus, peach, and mineral nuances. I prefer the off-dry to some of the sweeter Rieslings as the meal already has a lot of sugary dishes. Once the Riesling is drained I have to introduce something red (I am a red wine lover at heart). Pinot Noir is my go to. As with the Riesling, its subtleness compliments the many dishes of the meal. Something from Oregon or the Russian River Valley. Something with soft red fruit and slight tannins from the oak barrels. Maybe even with a nuance of vanilla.
What about you? What is your perfect pairing with Thanksgiving? Does it have to be Riesling or are you a Chardonnay addict? What about craft beer? There are some amazing harvest ales out there right now. Who’s plopping their favorite craft beer down at the table?
Thanksgiving is my favorite meal of the year–Turkey is my favorite meat and my husband makes the best turkey in the world.
Because he covers the breast with bacon (keeps it moist) and stuffs the turkey with a sausage dressing, and makes a rich gravy, our meal likes a red. Pinot Noir or Rioja pair nicely.
I’m also too much of a traditionalist to crave beer with this meal.
Confession. Thanksgiving is actually my least favorite meal of the year. I wanted to keep my post positive, but the truth has to come out. I hate turkey. And even worse than that? I despise ham. Of course, maybe if my turkey was wrapped in bacon… now we’re talking.
You’d actually like Ken’s turkey. Everyone does; even the people who say they hate turkey. (And it only became my favorite meal after Ken started cooking it for me. Before that, it was my least favorite).
He knows how to make it taste sublime. Way too many cooks manage to make it taste like cardboard. I will no longer eat turkey anywhere else but at home.
You’re making me hungry!
Eat something 🙂
We start before the turkey hits the table. As the turkey is put into the peanut oil, we have our first toast, thankful for a wonderful life and family. We drink metal winning Italian Pinot Grigio and Australian Chardonnay, both home made. As we watch the turkey cook we enjoy a nice Java cigar.On the table this year we will have also be serving Italian Montepulciano. I CAN’T WAIT
What happened to the tequilla while the turkey is frying?
That my son, will be the big surprise 😉
I’m definitely a wine girl for Thanksgiving . . . usually a Pinot Noir! Salud!!
Pinot is quickly becoming the clear winner.
I’m usually forced to drink Rose as it’s the only wine my mum likes the taste of! 🙂 Luckily, I can drink anything!
But you’re from Ireland and live in Lithuania . You don’t celebrate Thanksgiving?
I live in LATVIA 😉 I’ll be going home for Christmas and it’s pretty much the same deal!
For Turkey, I’d go with a Chenin Blanc (Vouvray, maybe something from Stellenbosch/Paarl) or a Sav Blanc (Tourraine/Loire). Dry meat, dry wine. I have a Rose Sancerre on deck, maybe try that one out this year. If I can get a Beaujolais Nouveau at dinner, it would kind of neat to pair that given the seasonality.
For beer, I like lighter beer, which I think might be good here? I’d do Angry Angel (Big Boss) or Endless River (Mother Earth). I haven’t found a pumpkin beer, but that would kind of seasonal/festive.
You really studied your French wines before the cruise, huh?
Grenache with the turkey is another option- just not a tutti fruity one:)
I would not have thought of Grenache…good idea!
Riesling followed by Pinot Noir? Heaven!! Over here (UK) I’m more likely to dip into a German Riesling and a French PN, but I think you’ve nailed your choices there!
US Holiday so I was keeping with US wines. Well, at least on the PN. German Rieslings can be a bit sweet for me.
I have to admit that until my Bride, I never enjoyed turkey for Thanksgiving, but that has changed. I will be having a Pinot Noir for myself and some close friends, but I think that I may get a bottle or two of a Beaujolais Nouveau to start the day off. I will also be pouring some Chardonnay and I may try a Cabernet Franc Rose as well to see how it pairs. I hope you and all your readers have a great Thanksgiving.
I hear you on the turkey. I’m still not a fan. I like the rose suggestions.
Like your wines. Which one are you bringing for dinner?
Both!
I’m really surprised by the lack of beer suggestions. Surely a beer blogger out there somewhere has a beer suggestion for Thanksgiving? Maybe a favorite pumpkin or harvest ale? Perhaps a barley wine?
Every Pumpkin beer I’ve tasted was not good. I drank them, but I didn’t care for them.
Same here. The only one I have liked is Warlock, a pumpkin stout, by Southern Tier. It is quite good but would not go with turkey and all the fixins.
I think Roadsmary’s Baby by Two Roads Brewing would go well with Thanksgiving – it’s a pumpkin ale aged in rum barrels.
I’ve never had a beer aged in rum barrels. We tend to drink anything bourbon aged in our house and would probably dig this beer. I’ll have to look for it on my travels.
Definitely! Some people don’t favor the flavor, but since you’re a fan of bourbon aging, I think you’ll like it!
Love it. Very insightful and clear. I have a wine event today at work that features Riesling. I stumbled upon your blog post while doing some research and I have to say it’s helped me refine some of my selling points today. So, a glass to that on Thanksgiving. 🙂
Great blog, though. I love some of the pairings you have on here. I will definitely be visiting again for dinner time. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you enjoy my pairing posts. If you have a food you want me to toss out there, pass it along.
I just stumbled across your blog and I love it, great work! Being English, I’ve never had a thanksgiving dinner before, but some American friends have invited us over for one this weekend. We’re in charge of bringing the wine. I’ll be following your advice pretty closely, though substituting with wines from Piemonte, probably a Riesling and a Barbera.
I hope you enjoyed your first Thanksgiving! How did the wines work out?
It was really great, thanks. In the end we went with a good Franciacorta Prosecco followed by a Barbera and then, of course, washed everything down with a glass or two of Grappa.
We as a society don’t drink enough grappa! I brought 3 bottles back from our trip to Italy.
Damn, these are tricky! While red wine is certainly the traditional pairing with turkey and stuffing, thus ensuring a complete after-dinner blackout, I can see a good Marzen or Pumpkin ale pairing well with it too.
So it’s the wine not the turkey that puts me to sleep? Love the marzen suggestion.
I know, right? And it’s sort of the full range of foods associated with a turkey dinner. Apparently, tryptophan isn’t a natural seditive, it’s really just all that heavy food and alcohol that’s been knocking us out!
I drank craft beer this year for Thanksgiving – an awesome beer by New England Brewing Co., called 668 Neighbor of the Beast!
I admit that the family folks who bring wine tend to like types I’m not a huge fan of, but they’ve been favoring 19 Crimes lately, which I do like.