by vineveritas
This Thanksgiving is certainly going to be very different from holidays in the past. Maybe your tradition was to dine at your favorite restaurant. Or perhaps you invited all your extended family over for dinner or travelled to a relative’s house who hosted the get-together every year. While those options are not possible this year, due to COVID-19, I’m focusing on using this unique situation we are all living in as an opportunity to reimagine Thanksgiving Dinner with the immediate family in my COVID bubble.
The silver lining of only hosting a few guests allows for the food preparation focus to switch from mass production to a tasting style menu. It also means that the wine options can be more curated and elevated, especially if you don’t have to worry about crazy Aunt Ethel chugging the bottle of the Domaine Romanée-Conti La Tâche you had pulled from your wine cellar for this special occasion.
If my dinner service for sixteen were now only to be set for 4 guests, here’s what I would plan to ensure all those special occasion dishes are still going to end up in the sink.
Cocktail Hour: Raw Oysters, Smoked Salmon Canapés and an elaborate Charcuterie Board…with a 2012 Schramsberg “J. Schram” Sparkling Rosé. The bright acidity is the perfect aperitif and the cranberry and brûléed sugar notes will hint at the rest to come. Schramberg’s vintage wine, made only from their best grapes in only the best years is “considered by many to be the ultimate expression of artisan American sparkling wine”
First Course: Butternut Squash Bisque topped with a Ginger-Sage Crème Fraîche…paired with one of Rombauer Vineyards Chardonnays from the Carneros region in California.
…or a 2016 Kongsgaard Viognier-Roussanne from Napa Valley. The richness and spices in the soup will be enhanced by either the floral notes of the Viognier or the vanilla oak notes in the chardonnay.
Second Course: Pan Seared Sea Scallops with Warm, Shredded Brussel Sprouts, Smoked Applewood Bacon and a Maple Syrup Glaze…paired with a 2018 Jean-Paul Brun Domaine des Terres Dorées Fleurie. While a Beaujolais Nouveaux is always enjoyable to have with Thanksgiving, now is the time to try one of the region’s Beaujolais Cru, which are a little more complex and age better than their fun, fruity counterparts. The rose petals, and earthiness will compliment the root vegetables and bacon and the sweetness of the scallops and syrup will enhance the raspberry notes and lighter body of the wine.
Third Course: Roasted Turkey with Apple, Cranberry & Rosemary Stuffing and Mashed Potatoes…paired with a 2018 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir from Ribbon Ridge in the Willamette Valley or that amazing bottle of Burgundy you’ve been saving. Now is the time for traditional. No Thanksgiving Dinner is complete without a classic pairing of a pinot noir and Beaux Frères have been producing traditional, Burgundian style pinot noir in Willamette Valley for over thirty years.
Fourth Course: Pumpkin Cheesecake and Pecan Tarts…with a Taylor Fladgate 20 year old Tawny Port. The caramel and walnut notes are complimented with dried fig, apricot and a buttery finish. Ideal to pair with all the Thanksgiving treats of which one can dream.
VINE VERITAS 