Thanksgiving Wine Club!

We all know the most famous foodie holiday is just around the corner, Thanksgiving! Here at the CIA, we celebrate by pairing our favorite dishes with our favorite wines, at Wine Club.

The theme of the meeting tonight was to prove all the holiday food and wine pairings that are filling the pages of your favorite magazines this time of the year. Here's the line up from right to left:

1) La Sirena Moscato Azul 2006

2)Saddleback Cellars Grenache Blanc 2007

3) Willa Kenzie Estate Pinot Blanc 2007

4) Chase Hayne Vineyard Zinfindel 2004

5) Sequel Syrah Colombia Valley 2005

6) Ficklin Vinyards Aged 10 Years Tawny Port

The line-up of wines was intended to cover everything from "a kitchen drinking wine" to a "finishing dessert wine," and of course something in-between that pairs well with Turkey!

Some great food magazines provided the recipes and suggestions for our wine pairings.

1) Italian Sausage Stuffing - Epicurious Magazine - Pairing Zinfandel

2) Garlic Mashed Potatoes - Gourmet Magazine - Pairing Pinot Blanc

3) Cranberry/Grapefruit - Chowhoud - Pairing Syrah

4) Roasted Turkey w/ Apple-Cider Gravy - Gourmet Magazine - Pairing Grenache Blanc

5) Pumpkin Butterscotch - Bon Appetit Magazine - Pairing Tawny Port

My favorite table to visit at Thanksgiving is the dessert table. The Pumpkin Butterscotch pie and the Tawny Port let me down though as a "perfect pairing." I felt like the spices counteracted too much and the Port, with its raisiny notes, would have been better with a caramelized dessert instead. Maybe a Sauternes from France or a sweet Muscat. The stuffing was paired with the Zin, but I preferred the Syrah, primarily due to the fact the Chase Hayne Zin was too light bodied and fell flat when overwhelmed by the sausage. Nothing in my opinion paired well with the Turkey, which proves its pairing difficulty, but since I like the white meat the best, I don't think you can go wrong with a great Pinot Noir. My best advice though, is to incorporate some gravy flavoring that best matches your wine of choice. Therefore, you can drink what you like and share a great meal with the one's you love. Happy early Thanksgiving to all, and I challenge you to pick out one thing per day, until Thanksgiving, that you are thankful for this year. I'll start. I am thankful for the blessing of my new, little family. Whose next..............................?