My best intention was get and serve only American wines for thanksgiving, and I had just the array in mind: We'd start with a sparkling wine from Gruet in New Mexico (winner of a blind tasting several years ago and reasonably priced), Followed by an Oregon Pinot Gris for the appetizer course, and finishing up with an Oregon Pinot Noir with the big bird. (Not the yellow big bird, of course.)
Here's what we wound up with:
Adelsheim Pinot Blanc, 2006, Oregon, 13.6%, $20.75;
Benton Lane Pinot Noir, 2007, 13.5%, $25.65;
Segura Viudas Cava, 12%, $22.29
The Adelshiem was by far the best, complex, interesting, complementary yet able to hold its own against the meal. The Benton Lane Pinot Noir was a disappointment to me. It lacked body, was more like a Nouveau Beaujolais than a complex Pinot Noir.
Now, I know I can get "big" jammy Pinot from California, but I like the complexity of the Oregon Pinot. And I've certainly had excellent wines from Benton Lane. Just not this one. I have discovered that the better Oregon Pinot Noir costs more money, and to get a reliably good wine you often have to pay more than $40, sometimes much more.
The cava was good, and I think it's a good value. Certainly worth having on hand.
Dory here: I completely agree with Dave's read on the wines, but in my opinion, they are secondary to the meal itself. Our starter, a squash and carrot soup, was definitely enriched by the reduced cream remaining from Saturday's carrot side dish. The locally grown turkey, roasted "upside down," slid from the oven to the tongue, moist and flavorful. The gravy (thanks, Sal) added a yummy note to the horseradish-laced mashed potato and celeriac. Sweet potatoes mashed with maple syrup were perked up by the traditional cranberry orange relish. But best of all were the people: some new to Thanksgiving, others not; a Hebrew blessing to begin the meal; a lot of laughter and just the merest suggestion of zombies from 200 years in the future. So maybe the Pinot wasn't fantastic (neither were the delicate little Brussels sprouts that I managed to overcook -- yuck), but over all, lots to be thankful for around our table this year.
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