Thanksgiving! What was your wine of the day?

[Robin Garr]

winefeast.jpg

I have to confess that yesterday wasn't a wine-geek day for me ... I poured at a midday community dinner where the wines du jour were magnums of Yellowtail and Woodbridge (don't judge), then out to dinner with friends who aren't really wine geeks, and took a modest French Pinot (Domaine de Bachellery 2013 Pays d'Oc) to enjoy with food.

The friends, food and sharing were all Thanksgiving fine, but now I'm looking for some vicarious enjoyment. Tell us about your wines of the day!

[David M. Bueker]

We had three really good wines, but the turkey took WOTD honors.

[ I poured at a midday community dinner where the wines du jour were magnums of Yellowtail and Woodbridge (don't judge)...

I think I can top you: boxed Bota shiraz! Just for the white trailer trash in-laws, of course *cough*

That was just for standin' around drinkin'. At dinner we had the one wine my wife always insists accompany roast turkey: Trimbach gewurz. She loved it, so I loved it.

And FWIW, my turkey was better than all yers

I have always been of the mind that on Thanksgiving, primarily due to the cacophony of the food on the table, and the fact that my relatives drink wine but are largely undiscriminating in what they drink, I almost never serve the blockbuster wine. And certainly don't make choices to impress. Rather I look for true table wines, wines that are accomodating and fresh and lively, with just enough complexity to be interesting.

So this year it was

Can Feixes Blanco Sellecion, Penedes, 2013, an absolutely charming, gentle Catalonian white blend with just the lightest touch of muscat-like pungency. Quietly and serenely perfect companion with the food.

Lorene Horse Heaven Hills Pinot Gris 2014; rather impressive, actually; a light-skin-contact PG, as the Italians sometime make, leaving it with a little brassy color and giving it an extra weight and expression. Not orange, but more than most bland nothings that Pinot Grigio can and does do. Satisfied the two PG drinkers, while upping their game just a little bit more than they expected; they were quite pleased, and I didn't have to winesplain a single word. For which we were all relieved.

[David M. Bueker]

Further thought (and eating) led me to the realization that the "wine" of the day was the Eagle Rare 10 Year Old Bourbon that I drank with some after dinner cookies.

2011 Tobin James, Fat Boy, Zinfandel; once again a great Thanksgiving wine; along with a 2012 TJ Ballistic Zin. Both wonderful as was the dinner.

probably a tie, '97 Kalin DD PN and '13 Foillard Cote dPy
Foodwise I was only responsible for oyster dressing and carrots w/cumin-turmeric, but happy with both

We had dinner as usual with the David's at their home in St Helena. We drank the usual eclectic group of good Napa & Sonoma wines but there was one that really stood out. Believe it or not our host opened a bottle of 1995 Kalin chard just to see what had happened and lo & behold it was absolutely delicious. This 20 year chard was a little familiar to an older white burg but richer and heavier in a good way on the palate. I know Hoke would have got a kick out of this bottle while explaining that this wine's deliciousness was due to the Sonoma appellation. Karen MacNeil was present as usual at this dinner and was also impressed which I know will make Hoke happy.

I opened two wines described under the wine focus for November. The 2009 Cote de Brouilly was my favorite although the 2011 Keller Riesling Trocken was also very nice.

The 2012 Forge Finger Lakes Pinot Noir was lovely. Fairly light colored, with a delightful nose and a unified, sophisticated profile. Not an over-extracted, alcoholic thing like the Santa Barbara PN I just tried down at the local wine shop!

I opened the 2012 Dom. Ehrhart Pinot Auxerrois and the 2004 Rioja (see note posted above). The Alsatian white was quite nice with light smokeyness and spiced pear. Very nearly dry. As with Dale, my only contribution to the feast was scalloped oysters.

Posted in a different post, but my three (over two days) were the 2004 Everham Ridge Pinot Noir, the 2005 Laurel Glen Cabernet (with lamb) and the 2009 Corison Kronos. The Kronos was probably my wine of the month, if not longer!