Top Four Organic Thanksgiving Wine Pairings
Thanksgiving wine pairings don’t have to be boring or complicated, especially with unique varietals of organic wine! While Thanksgiving 2020 may look and feel different from the large gatherings of the past, we’ve got organic wines that will make your meal shine. Whether you favor a traditional turkey & mashed potatoes feast or an all-out vegan affair, we have it covered with our top four organic Thanksgiving wine pairings.
Turkey and all the trimmings -for organic white wines look for wines with good acidity with a touch of citrus fruit to cleanse your palate from the rich fatty goodness and myriad of flavors. From Sunset.com’s article on What Wine to Serve for Thanksgiving: Tysan Pierce, sommelier at the HerbFarm in Woodinville, outside Seattle, lives by the high-acid rule on Thanksgiving: “You want a wine with a decent whack of acidity, to cleanse your mouth from that battery of flavors.” A touch of sweetness is a good thing in her book too.
Bukult Grüner Veltliner is a delicious option from Austria. This unique varietal has it all from fruit to acidity and a slight hint of white pepper. Tasting notes from Wine Enthusiast – Creamy notes of pear still carry a hint of flinty smoke, but the pear notes rise with purity. The bright freshness of pure lemon lifts everything and makes for purity, ease, refreshment and blithe joy.
Les Hauts de Lagarde Bordeaux Blanc is a classic Bordeaux blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Tasting notes from Decanter magazine- Clean crisp flavors and feel the verticality even on the nose. Love the mouth watering aspect here, this is high acidity, but for me it is well matched by minerality and clean bracing citrus and honeydew. Lovely, with good structure.
Red Organic Thanksgiving Wine Pairings
Good red organic Thanksgiving wine pairings include those with bold, red fruit flavors, a lighter body, low tannin and medium acidity with enough structure to help balance a heavy meal. According to Decanter magazine, a delicate Bordeaux blend makes a great pairing for turkey and other Holiday dishes: “Too much tannin will overpower the meat and your taste buds. Acidity is important to balance the range of flavors…delicately poised balance of fruit, acidity and integrated tannins can work excellently.”
Les Hauts de Lagarde Bordeaux Rouge is a great Merlot-based red blend that is the perfect match for the complex Thanksgiving menu. Tastings says: “Dark garnet color. Smoky aromas and flavors of charred nuts, roasted berries, and clay with a satiny, crisp, dryish medium body and a medium-long nuts, craisins and cassis, and earth finish with woody, tannins. A fun earthy French red for the table.”
Spartico Tempranillo-Cabernet – This No Sulfites Added wine from the Utiel-Requena region of Spain is light and fresh, seeing no oak aging but rich in flavor. Tasting notes from Santé Magazine – Fruity and herbaceous, with aromas of ripe Bing cherry and strawberry over a hint of dusty earth. Juicy on the palate, with black plum and summer berry flavors, with a note of peppery spice on the lively finish.
Vegetarian and Vegan Organic Thanksgiving Wine Pairings
Pass the Tofu Turkey and the delicious cornucopia of vegetable options that are available in this rich post-harvest season. From crispy roasted Brussels sprouts to Wild Rice and Cranberry Dressing, Delish has numerous vegetarian and vegan recipes for your Thanksgiving table. As for organic Thanksgiving wine pairings, they sky’s the limit as 100% of our organic wines are vegan-friendly, made without the use of any animal byproducts.
Whatever your culinary pleasure, choose ingredients that are fresh and organically grown. And remember that organic Thanksgiving wine pairings are a great addition to this very special meal. All wines available at Whole Foods Market and other fine retailers nationwide.
“An attitude of gratitude brings great things.” – Yogi Bhajan