The selections are chosen to pair with traditional Thanksgiving food. If you’re bucking the system we can also help you pair whatever you’re cooking with some great wines and we have many more options if you want less expensive wines or if you want to blow the budget!
All of these wines will be open over the span of two days, Friday and Saturday November 22nd and 23rd so you can taste for yourself, cross a to-do item off your list and focus on the cooking (or relaxing).
SPARKLING
Terres Secrètes Crémant de Bourgogne Brut NV
Selected because it has a lot of Pinot Noir in the blend and has a weightier and more substantial feel on the palate because of it. While it is a wonderful food wine It does not require food as it is also fairly soft and round with hints of citrus and subtle red fruits. This is from a co-op in the Mâconnais that was founded in 1951. 85% Pinot Noir, 10% Gamay and 5% Chardonnay. 10% of the wine sees time in older French oak. It is aged two years on the lees – longer than is required for true champagne! There seems to be a supply problem coming with this wine but enjoy it while you can!
Caves São Joǎo Espumante Rosé Bruto 2022
Selected because it is crisply dry but has lots of fruit and made us think of Thanksgiving right away. From Bairrada, in Portugal, with vineyards 12 miles from the Atlantic Ocean with clay and limestone. It is made in the traditional method and is 60% Baga and 40% Touriga Naçional. This is aged for only 3-4 months on the lees to preserve the fresh fruitiness.
ROSÉ
Domaine Le Galantin Bandol Rosé 2023
Selected because Bandol rosé is terrific food wine and this is a bargain compared to most others. Bandol must be at least 50% Mourvedre and that grape gives structure and earthiness (sometimes even in rosé) which means it can pair with lots of food that your favorite ‘porch-pounder’ pink could never handle. A shop favorite! This vintage is 63% Mourvedre, 19% Cinsault and 18% Grenache. Strawberry notes dominate with a sleek, sexy mid-palate and good length on the finish. 90% is direct press, 10% saignée. All stainless steel.
Olga Raffault Chinon Rosé 2023
Selected because we love this wine, we love Cabernet Franc and it will play well with the traditional Thanksgiving foods. Apples and strawberries abound here, on the nose and on the palate. There is a bit of earthy minerality on the finish, perfect for matching with so many classic dishes. 100% Cabernet Franc. Interestingly, it is also 90% direct press and 10% saignée like the Bandol. No oak here either.
WHITES
Domaine du Manoir Riesling ‘Clos du Letzenberg’ 2015
Selected because aged Riesling is a fantastic wine for diverse pairings. The family began replanting a steep abandoned vineyard near Colmar in 1979. We had tasted the 2014 last year and just didn’t find quite enough oomph in the wine. This bottling, from the warm 2015 vintage, offers lots more intensity and enough weight to handle all kinds of food and spice. This is richer, fuller Riesling with some maturity showing but also enough acidity for the table.
Aslan Vermentino, Maremma, Tuscany 2021
Selected because this version of Vermentino seems to act like a chameleon when it comes to food pairing. Vermentino is often no more than a crisp, fresh, high acid wine that works with the abundance of fresh seafood from the area. This is a bit different, however. From sandy soils with some sandstone, there is a bit more texture and length and complexity than you usually find from the grape. It is a serious wine but the woman who brings it to us, Kimberly Jones, still calls it a “vacation in a bottle.” Only 140 cases produced.
Nastl Grüner Veltliner ‘Gigant,’ Ried Liss, Kamptal 2019
Selected because Grüner with some age is hard to find and offers great flexibility in food pairing. The family has been growing grapes in Langenlois since 1656. They call their single-vineyard wines ‘Gigant’ which translates as giant. While that may be a bit overblown for this wine it certainly has presence and power. There are stone fruits on the nose and palate with excellent minerality and a lengthy, complex finish.
Passy le Clou Petit Chablis 2022
Selected because the wine has enough breadth on the palate to entertain fans of Chardonnay but no oak influence to clash with the food or turn off non-Chardonnay drinkers. Petit Chablis is on Portlandian soil, with more clay than the Kimmeridgian of Chablis. Marine Descombe, a Beaujolais producer, bought this property in 2017. Fermentation and aging is in stainless steel tanks. We are nearing the end of this vintage and the wine is in a wonderful place for drinking. It displays more minerality now than when it first arrived.
REDS
Rodaro Schioppettino, Friuli Colli Orientali 2017
Selected because Schioppettino is rare and fun to say and this vintage has aged into being a perfect fall red. Founded in 1846. Paolo is the 6th generation of winemakers in his family. The soils are ponca, marls and sandstone, giving complex aromas and strong minerality to the wines. There is white pepper and gunpowder on the nose, classic for the variety, and now some black pepper on the palate with a nearly seamless, round, inviting mouthfeel. Every dish should bring out a little something different in this wine and it should be really fun to share this!
Clos de la Roilette Fleurie 2023
Selected because Cru Beaujolais is always a great option for the Thanksgiving table and we received enough of this to feature it! Plus, it is delicious and very accessible this year. The iconic horse on the label was the prized racehorse of the original owner. The horse was said to love eating Gamay grapes. The 2023 is full of violets and tart red fruits with nuances of darker fruit underneath. There is earth but it is freshly turned, nothing funky. It has some tartness and is still a bit coiled but a delight to drink already.
Claude Manciat Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2021
Selected because it’s a well-priced Burgundy that has put on enough weight in the bottle to work at the Thanksgiving table. This is Mâcon fruit from Marie-Pierre Manciat. This is their smallest production – only 1hectare. The fruit is pure and elegant with a bit more weight than expected from Mâcon but the happiest surprise is the persistent minerality on the finish.
Montaribaldi Langhe Nebbiolo ‘Gamberin’ 2019 (and 2017)
Selected because we love Nebbiolo and we got this on a very good deal. This comes from Barbaresco and is a wonderful example of Nebbiolo. There is some rusticity to the wine but the fruit carries over the tannins and you find the classic cherry and leather notes for Nebbiolo plus a little fennel. When we open the 2019, we’ll also open a 2017 to taste side by side. The 2017 seemed much tighter to us and felt like it required food but let’s try them together and see!
2024 MAGNUM PICK
Pavillon de Chavannes Côte de Brouilly 2021
We’ll have that open over both days!