Thanksgiving Wine Pairing

Wow. This special Thanksgiving inspired wine pairing was absolutely fabulous. A full house of wine enthusiasts were treated to four delectable courses and 5 fabulous wines. Closed to the public for the special evening, Aromas arranged natural autumn centerpieces of maize, pumpkins and winter squash on each table creating a wonderful balance for the impeccably set place settings.


A beautiful Rosé started the evening. Apparently bubbyly isn't just for toasts anymore. It's a perfectly sparkling way to welcome your guests on Thanksgiving. Paired with a creamy cheese that was irresistible.

First we learned that a general rule of thumb for wine pairing is weight. Light dish — light wine. Also, a little acid in the wine is nice to cleanse the palette as you drink.

Which leads to the next wine, Senses, a white bordeaux bottled especially for Five Points Bottle Shop. A pleasant fresh citrus nose was a nice compliment to the roasted onion puree, green beans and pralined pecans. I savored this dish and this wine.

Next came the sweet potato gratin. I do not like sweet potato so I expected to pass on this one before it even was served. But the presentation beckoned I try it and I'm glad I did. This was simply delicious. Full of sophisticated flavor, it was not the sweet potato my mother used to make.

Svetlana Rostova, 5PBS wine buyer, introduced the second Five Points Bottle Shop private label, Quintessential, a special Côtes du Rhône. Charged with finding a really great tasting wine that 5PBS could bottle and provide to their customers at a really nice price, Svet revealed that she had to taste a LOT of wine. The Quintessential comes from the small southern village of Rasteau in France and is lighter in body.

"Let's face it", she said, "turkey - not a lot of flavor. The spices and herbs in the Côtes du Rhône help the turkey". When pairing, she reminded, think compliment AND contrast.

Somewhere along the line I forgot about note taking and became engaged in great conversations with the other guests at my table. That's the other key ingredient to these wine pairings and beer tastings I'm learning; it's the people you meet and the fun to be had. It turns out that the person sitting next to me is a close friend of a dear friend of mine from New Orleans. And the person sitting across the table went to school in New Orleans, so there was a lot to talk about. We had a grand time and it looks like I'm going to a crawfish boil in the spring. Can't wait.

We had a wonderful Reisling, not too sweet or dry, and a light Pinot Noir, two perfect choices for your Thanksgiving Dinner. A light and delicate Reisling enhances the complex and slightly sweet flavors of turkey, cranberry sauce, root vegetables, sweet potatoes and yams. And Pinot Noir, some say, is the "little black dress" of wine, making it a classy choice with it's light to medium body and subtle oakiness.

Five Points Bottle Shop, Aromas and Scott Parish of National Fine Wine teamed up to provide fresh new choices for your Thanksgiving table. And local caters, Home.made, amazed us with their culinary skill; truly the outstanding menu and creative flavors excited the guests and provided the foundation for a perfect Thanksgiving-style wine pairing.

Wine List

Schramsberg Mirabelle Sparkling Rose
Senses White Bordeaux
Quintessential Côtes du Rhône
Dr. Loosen "Dr. L" Riesling
Morgon 12 Clones Pinot Noir

Menu

cheese
roasted onion puree with haricots vert and pralined pecans
sweet potato gratin with watercress and plumped raisins
cornbread bread pudding with poached oysters and fried sage
tea smoked turkey breast with cranberry orange reduction
pumpkin flan tarts with toffee whipped cream