By Laura Fortini


Thanksgiving is the harbinger of many special holidays to come, including Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza, and New Year's. Thanksgiving, the forerunner of all these wine-worthy occasions, is the perfect time to branch out in your wine selections. With the array of traditional and eclectic foods surrounding these wonderful wintry holidays, choosing wines to match these foods could be one of the most enjoyable parts of the holiday season!

Here are some ideas that will prompt you to experiment, explore new wines, and have fun:

Thanksgiving Turkey:
It's no coincidence that "Beaujolais Nouveau Day" always falls on the Thursday before Thanksgiving .The Beaujolais Nouveaus hailing from France are made with Gamay grapes, resulting in a fruity and very fresh wine that wonderfully complements turkey and its exciting entourage of side dishes. Another red wine that is versatile in food pairings is Pinot Noir. You could choose a traditional Red Burgundy like Drouhin Laforet Bourgogne, a California Pinot Noir like Parker Station by Fess Parker Winery, or an Oregon Pinot Noir like Rex Hill. My favorite white wine to have with a Thanksgiving feast is Gew?rztraminer. "Gewurtz" means "spicy" in German. Gew?rztraminers can range from slightly off-dry to sweet, and can give off floral, gingery, peachy, or even nutty aromas. Its caramely, apricoty flavors makes Gew?rztraminer truly delectable with all the fruits and spices that flavor your favorite side dishes. I love the J. Bookwalter Gew?rztraminer from Washington State.A Dry Riesling is also nice with a Thanksgiving meal. If you're not serving (or eating ) turkey, no problem there, these wine selections are meant to go with vegetarian Tofurky, and all the wonderful side dishes, too.

Holiday Ham:
For a red wine, an Italian Chianti Classico like Ruffino's Aziano is delicious with ham. For a great white wine option, try the distinctive, white grapefruity Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand with your ham.

Beef Roast:
The Perrin Reserve Cotes du Rhone rouge from France is a nice hearty match for your roast. Also, a big, rich, spicy California Zinfandel, like one of the Four Vines Winery Zinfandels is a great idea. Four Vines Winery makes four Zins ranging from $10 to $40.

Potato Latkes:
Traditional potato pancakes garnished with apple sauce and sour cream pairs perfectly with a Sauvignon Blanc, or, better yet, a fine Kosher Chardonnay from Baron Herzog.

Hope these ideas get your wheels turning; the next column will talk about food traditions and wine suggestions for the diverse and meaningful World Holidays soon approaching!

Happy Holidays.

Laura Fortini is a Wine Specialist for Whole Foods Market, Durham
Contact Laura at laurafortini@wholefoods.com