What to Pour at Thanksgiving
Big tannic reds like Cabernet clash with the sweet sides at Thanksgiving.
Turkey itself is mild and easy. Almost anything goes with it. The trouble is everything around it. Cranberry sauce is sweet and sharp. Squash and candied yams are sweet again. Gravy and stuffing are rich and salty. Put a big tannic red next to that and the sweetness strips it, and the tannin turns hard and bitter.
What works is acidity to cut the richness, light to moderate tannin, and a bit of fruit. We carry all of these styles.
Start with bubbles
Sparkling is refreshing and goes with the salty snacks before dinner.
Blue Mountain Brut Gold Label
Okanagan Valley, BC · 750ml · $37.91
Blue Mountain make traditional method sparkling in the Okanagan. It is made the same way champagne is, with the second fermentation in the bottle, which is where the fine bead and the bread note come from.
Before dinner, as guests arrive.
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Villa Marchesi Prosecco
Veneto, Italy · 750ml · $22.54
Prosecco from the Veneto. Softer and more fruit forward than champagne.
With salty snacks before dinner.
+ CartPinot Noir and Gamay
Pinot Noir and Gamay both have the acidity to handle cranberry and the light tannin that keeps them from turning bitter against the sweet dishes. They also work with ham and with a vegetarian main.
A Sunday in August Pinot Noir
Salt Spring Island, BC · 750ml · $35.86
A small BC producer working with minimal intervention. Lighter and more savoury than a warm climate Pinot.
Twenty minutes in the fridge before serving.
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Joseph Drouhin Beaujolais Villages
Beaujolais, France · 750ml · $34.84
Gamay from Beaujolais, by Joseph Drouhin. Bright red fruit, very little tannin, and enough acidity to reset the palate between bites.
Served cool, around cellar temperature.
Sold out, ask us
Cono Sur Bicicleta Pinot Noir
Chile · 750ml · $14.34
Pinot Noir from Chile. Fruit and acidity at $14.34.
For pouring at a big table.
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A dry Riesling or a Gewurztraminer has the acidity for the gravy and enough aromatic lift to sit beside sweet sides.
St Hubertus Dry Riesling
Okanagan Valley, BC · 750ml · $24.59
An Okanagan estate winery. Dry Riesling with high acidity, which cuts through gravy and stuffing.
With turkey and the sides.
Sold out, ask us
Red Rooster Reserve Gewurztraminer
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley · 750ml · $26.64
Lychee and rose, from Naramata Bench fruit. It goes with squash, sweet potato and anything with cinnamon in it.
With the sides.
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Mission Hill Reserve Chardonnay
Okanagan Valley, BC · 750ml · $28.69
Body and some oak. Good with roast poultry and butter.
Out of the fridge fifteen minutes before pouring.
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Apple and turkey is an old pairing. A dry cider has the acidity to cut the gravy, and it is light enough to drink across three hours.
Salt Spring Wild Farmhouse Scrumpy
Salt Spring Island, BC · 750ml · $20.49
A wild fermented farmhouse cider in a 750ml bottle, poured at the table like wine. Dry and funky.
On the table with the wine.
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Truck 59 Bourbon Blackberry Cider
British Columbia · 500ml · $11.26
Blackberry and bourbon barrel. Enough flavour to stand up to stuffing and dark meat.
With the leftovers the next day, cold from the fridge.
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A tawny port or a sweet sherry goes with pumpkin pie or a cheese board. A small glass is plenty.
Fonseca Tawny Port
Portugal · 750ml · $27.66
Nutty and caramel from barrel ageing, with pumpkin pie and pecan. Unlike vintage port, an opened bottle keeps for weeks.
Slightly chilled, in a small glass.
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Lustau Pedro Ximenez San Emilio
375ml · $35.86
Pedro Ximenez is close to black, thick as syrup and tastes of raisin, fig and molasses. A half bottle.
Over vanilla ice cream.
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A non-alcoholic wine for anyone not drinking.
Leitz Non Alcoholic Chardonnay
Rheingau, Germany · 750ml · $20.49
Leitz is a wine estate in Germany's Rheingau. This has real acidity and texture.
Chilled, in a wine glass.
Sold out, ask usHow much to buy
About half a bottle per adult across a long seated meal. That is four or five bottles for a table of eight, plus one sparkling for the start and one small bottle for the end. People drink more slowly sitting down than standing up at a party.
In store, we can plan it with you from the head count and the menu. It is the part of this job we like most.
Free local delivery
Within 10km of the shop, free on orders over $150, a flat $6 under. Orders through our website usually arrive the same day.
