Liquid Assets

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Wines for Thanksgiving

Turkey Day is here, and what better time to serve some interesting new wines? Throw out the old "red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat" rule. Turkey is happy with all sorts of white and red wines. If you go more for ham, there are white wines that work beautifully. Below are some readily available wines that will bump up the pleasure factor at your Thanksgiving feast.

Gruet Blanc de Blanc Sparkling

($12 made from Chardonnay) or

Gruet Blanc de Noir ($12 made from Pinot Noir)

Superb sparkling wine made in New Mexico, of all places. Equal to many wines costing three times as much. Both wines work flawlessly with Thanksgiving food. We marginally prefer the Blanc de Noir.

Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay, $11

The key word here is reliable. Nice fruit, but not overblown, which means the wine won't overwhelm your roasted turkey like some other California Chards do. Easily drinkable before, with, and after food.

La Playa Sauvignon Blanc, $7

This is an excellent match with turkey, especially if your dressing features some fruit. Floral and pineapple-ish scents complement terrific flavors.

Trimbach Riesling, $15

Many of Austin's best chefs pick Riesling as their favorite all-around food wine. This example, from Alsace in France, is bone-dry and highly aromatic. A perfect wine for pork or ham.

Louis Jadot Pinot Noir Bourgogne, $17

If you are used to American Pinot Noirs, this might come as a bit of a shock. The flavor is very much like young cherries. There is just a bit of a barnyard aroma to it. It is not a good wine to quaff without food. But match it up with turkey and dressing, especially if there are mushrooms somewhere on the plate, and you have a masterful mix.

Spicewood Vineyards Texas Hill Country Merlot, $12

Emanating just west of Austin, this is a pleasing, easy-to-drink wine with good fruit and a nice vanilla-oak flavor. Merlot is a classic pairing with turkey.

Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel, $14

If your Thanksgiving dishes use a lot of herbs and spices, this would be our choice. A big, jammy, intense wine that is very high in alcohol. This is one of the great bargains in red wine.

Woodley Tawney Port, $10

Need to know what to have with that pumpkin pie? We recommend you try this Australian Port. It is a thick, sweet wine with intense aromas and berry character. Another bargain for the price.