Elite Wine Reviews Eve’s Wine 101

Thankful for Wine

by Eve Bushman

Taking a break from wine reviews, this edition of Eve’s Wine 101 will cover the basics of selecting and serving wine for your holidays based on some of the questions you have sent me.  The holidays are really a remarkable opportunity for you to share your love of wine with your friends and family.
When invited to a friend’s for Thanksgiving, I was just told to “bring wine”.  What do I bring to pair with a turkey or pumpkin pie?
My answer really depends on personal preference and taste. While I know that a Nouveau Beaujolais – a very light red wine served chilled  – is a given on most wine drinker’s Thanksgiving tables, I don’t particularly care for it.  But I will supply it for my friends that like the tradition.  You might want to purchase a bottle to try for yourself first, to see if you’d enjoy it.  
I try to have Cabernet Sauvignon (Turkey, Prime Rib, Duck), Zinfandel (Turkey, Ham, Prime Rib), Merlot (Turkey, Ham, Prime Rib, Duck) and Pinot Noir (Turkey, Ham, Prime Rib, Duck) on hand.  I have quite a large collection because some people just want a particular varietal, and the food pairing for them is secondary to having their current favorite wine.  Many wine drinkers actually look at the wine list in a restaurant before the menu.
A dessert wine, like a late harvest Riesling or Muscat, is great paired with both pumpkin and apple pies.  If you can find a late harvest Zinfandel, for any chocolate dessert lovers, it could also prove to be scrumptious.
You need to know that most dessert wines are sold in “split” half-bottle sizes.  Don’t fret.  You only need to pour an ounce or two, so one small bottle can cover 8-12 guests.  If you have dessert wine glasses, this is the time to show them off.  Like a sherry, cognac or a port, a dessert wine is to be lingered over.  And, for me, having usually over indulged well before the dessert, it can stand alone.
Should I plan to serve both white and red wines before and during dinner? And when can I pop open Champagne?
Your guests may prefer white to red, or vice versa, so you should have both available all evening.  I sometimes enjoy a lighter white, like a Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling before dinner, and a Chardonnay, not too oaky, with turkey.  And Champagne is acceptable anytime; a great wine for guests as they arrive to introduce a celebratory mood or at the end of the meal as a toast to the hosts!  
Do I have to change my guest’s wine glasses for different wines?
I will sometimes rinse out, turn over onto a paper napkin, or get a new glass when I change from white to red wine.  Try this: pour a small taste of the wine you are having next into your glass.  You can use it for two things: as a rinse and for a taste.  Your guests will like it too, thereby deciding if they want a full pour of it or if they’d like something else.

Yours, in wine and out,
Eve

You may contact Eve at ebushman@earthlink.net for questions and comments. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, evewine101.blogspot.com and westranchbeacon.com.