Dan's Papers - November 16, 2007 - Over the Barrel... with Lenn Thompson

With Thanksgiving coming up, it's my absolute duty as a wine writer to craft a column telling you what wines you should drink with your turkey dinner. Seriously, to not write such a column would be like not writing about sparkling wine for New Years.

The amazing thing is - with nearly every publication around printing those "Thanksgiving wines" columns - that so few of them seem to offer the same advice.

Some writers say that you absolutely must drink Beaujolais Nouveau, the light, super-youthful red wine that is so over-hyped that it's a caricature of itself at this point. Others say that you are best off pairing Thanksgiving dinner with red Burgundy (or other Pinot Noir wines). Some say Riesling, as I have in past years. Zinfandel, perhaps the most "American" of all wines is favored by those who think American wines should be poured for the most American of all holidays. Still others suggest that rose - either dry or nearly so - are a good option because they are versatile.

Honestly, if you read enough Thanksgiving wine columns, you'll see just about every varietal from every region of the world included. In addition to the above wines, I've seen Viognier, Chardonnay and Shiraz lauded as "ideal" as well.

Clearly, far too much is made of pairing wine Thanksgiving wine pairings. But, I have to write a Thanksgiving wine column. It's part of the rules. But, that doesn't mean that I need to tell you what you should drink. Instead,

Drink What You Like. If a famous wine writer suggests drinking Oregon Pinot Noir alongside your turkey, but you don't like Oregon Pinot Noir, don't do it. Even if I think Riesling is a good choice, if you despise it, don't drink it. Thanksgiving is about celebrating with friends and family. Drink what you like, even if the so-called "experts" don't think it's the "right" pairing.

Drink Local. Thanksgiving is also about being thankful for the good things in our lives. For me, that includes appreciating the local wine community. I'm thankful for having a beautiful place to visit on weekends that almost doesn't seem like Long Island. With every vineyard that is planted and is successful, that is that much less land that can be converted into condos and strip malls. How can you make sure that those vineyards succeed? Support them. Plus, as we all start to think about our carbon footprint, think about how much fuel it takes to ship heavy glass bottles filled with wine all over the world. Drink local.

Drink a Few Wines. I'm not ignoring the concept of moderation here, but open several different wines and see what you think tastes best with what foods. The Thanksgiving table is a diverse one. You've got rather neutral turkey, highly spiced stuffing - with or without sausage - candied sweet potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, sweet-tart cranberry sauce and rich gravy. No single wine is going to be ideal with everything. So try different things.

Have Fun. Absolutely do not stress about what wine you're serving to your family and friends. Wine is supposed to be fun, not stressful. Enjoy yourself. Enjoy your meal. And enjoy whatever wine you pour.

Me, I'll be enjoying a quiet Thanksgiving dinner with my wife and 9-month-old son, Jackson this year. We're getting a fresh, free-range Bourbon Red turkey from Garden of Eve Organic Farm, will roast it simply and serve it with local Brussels spouts, sweet potatoes and homemade cranberry sauce. For dessert, my wife is going to make two pies - one apple, one pumpkin - with local fruit.

Don't ask me what wines we're going to drink, because I don't know yet. And I'm not going to stress out about it either. Sufficed to day, we'll be drinking local wine that we love.