Gobble ’til You Wobble

Nestled in between the candy comas, but before the hassle of tangled Christmas lights comes a holiday that is a favorite amongst many Americans, Thanksgiving. This holiday is all about spending the day around loved ones and an inordinate amount of specialty prepared foods, as well as counting our many blessings.

That’s not to say that Thanksgiving is not without its stressors. The meal alone can set you back a dime or two. Not to mention the wine. Lehman’s Deli is here to take the dilemma out of tricky Thanksgiving wine pairing that is both tasty and won’t break the bank.

This year we picked one white varietal, Riesling, and one red varietal, Pinot Noir.

You might think that Riesling is an unexpected choice, but it is the perfect food wine because of its low acidity and light, bright fruity flavor. It fits well with the many flavors and textures that will be on your Thanksgiving table.

Pinot Noir is a light to medium bodied red wine with low tannins and moderate acidity. It’s red fruit aromas like strawberry and cranberry compliment the fall spice of cinnamon and cloves. Both varietals pair well with the most important part of the Thanksgiving Dinner, the turkey. Whether your favorite part is the white breast meat or the turkey leg, Riesling or Pinot Noir will expand your culinary delights. And both will pair well with which ever method the cook uses to prepare the bird, like the craze of injecting intense flavors into a deep-fried turkey, to the herb roasted turkey recipe that has been passed down for generations.

Here are a few sampling notes that our dedicated wine enthusiasts at Lehman’s Deli had to offer:

Napa Cellars Pinot Noir, 2014 (Napa Valley) – a delicate medium bodied wine with a smooth, supple balanced profile that develop with an explosion of blackberry and plum. Satiny, round feel that is easy drinking with a nice acidity and finish that glides over the palate. (read- a wine that will get you thru your Aunt Edna’s bunion stories)

Folie á Deux Pinot Noir, 2014 (Sonoma Coast) – opens with candied cherries and leads into herbal eucalyptus and forest floor and just as the prima ballerina is awakened by the Nutcracker in the Dance of the Sugar Plumfairies, so does the pink peppercorns in this Pinot.

Paper Moon Silverlining Riesling,  2014 (Vermillion, Ohio) – A clean bright , mild soft satiny lemon that is light and crisp on the tongue and won’t interfere with your sweet desserts, candied yams, but will compliment  and surprisingly  reinvent itself with your sausage stuffing.

So whatever wine you choose, don’t overthink it. Just enjoy your favorite vino so that you can relax and enjoy the ultimate feast that is known as Thanksgiving Dinner.

And don’t forget your stretchy pants!