By James Robinson, Your Co-op Sommelier

Keep-It-Simple

It’s that time of year when wine writers across the country publish wine recommendations for the Thanksgiving holiday. It’s also the time of year when shoppers stand in the aisle, panic-stricken, eye glazed, bamboozled and bewildered by the dizzying array of choices available. Many seek the perfect pairing. Others seek to impress and bedazzle. And countless others become overwhelmed by it all, and don’t know where to turn. But there is hope. Follow these simple guidelines and holiday stress can be turned into holiday bliss.

Drink what you like

First and foremost, and one of the first questions I typically ask Co-Op shoppers is: ‘What do you like to drink?’ If you can’t name a grape or region, are you able to describe the style of wines you like best? Once you’ve identified what you like, seek it out. Drinking what you like means you’ll be immeasurably happier than drinking a wine you think you ought to be drinking.

Don’t stress about the perfect pairing

From a sensory perspective, Thanksgiving meals can be long, complex affairs. You may first find yourself grazing mid-day on cheese, crackers, charcuterie, mixed nuts, Texas Trash or Chex Mix. Later, you’ll likely ease into a dinner of turkey or ham, stuffing, sweet or savory potatoes, a variety of vegetables and salads. You may encounter exotic ingredients such as oysters in the stuffing, Jell-O and marshmallows, candied fruit and savory herbs – all on the same table and at the same time. With so many possibilities, it just isn’t possible to pick the one wine that will do it all, the one wine that will pair perfectly with the myriad flavors on the table. What then to choose?

Keep the wines accessible

Unless you chum around with a group of hardcore wine enthusiasts, Thanksgiving is not the best time to attempt to impress your friends with avant-garde varietals or cutting-edge styles. Save the reductive, wild yeast fermented, skin contact Georgian wine for another occasion. Instead, choose wines that are immediately and universally delicious, require little explanation and may appeal to a variety of palates or pair with a wide variety of foods. Remember, Thanksgiving is all about the food. Wine plays a supporting role.

Low alcohol, high acid

Your best bets are high acid, low alcohol wines that won’t weigh you down. Sparkling wines, high acid whites such as Chenin Blanc, sweet or dry Riesling, Pecorino, Slovenian whites, Pinot Noir, Trousseau, Zweigelt, Mondeuse, Garnacha, Gamay Noir, or alpine reds from the Jura or Piedmont would all do the trick.

Moderate cost, high quality, right quantity

Thanksgiving feasts with high guest counts are protracted affairs and, over the course of the event, family and friends will likely drink more than you anticipate. And what would be worse, having wine leftover after dinner, or running out before the end of the meal? Planning on one bottle per drinking person should keep you from facing an emergency run to the store.

In order to avoid breaking the bank, however, seek out the highest quality wines that suit your tastes and style for $25 a bottle or less. To that end, the Co-Op has scores of high quality options between $15 and $18 that would make perfect additions to any Thanksgiving table.

Some suggestions …

White Wines

ALR 2019 Vinho Verde $15.49 – A properly vinified (non-spritzy) Vinho Verde with an elegant and lightly minerally style, good structure and soft citrus flavours. With a Riesling-like palate this wine delivers lovely persistence and vitality. Farming: Biodynamic

Mary Taylor 2020 Gaillac Perle $18.99 – Light and refreshing with tiny bubbles, green apple and tropical fruit notes. Great as a starting sipper before the main event. Farming: HVE Level 3 certified

Kobal 2020 Ŝipon Furmint $18.49 - Elegant and super fresh on the palate, showing beautiful salinity, fragrant white flower aromas and a crisp palate full of apricot, granny smith apple, and pineapple flavors. Farming: Lutte raisonnée

Champalou 2018 Vouvray ‘Les Fondraux’ $22.99 – Notes of white peach, apricot, citrus fruit, and white flowers atop the flinty minerality inherent to Vouvray. Farming: HVE certified

Battenfeld Spanier 2020 Grüner Sylvaner $18.99 - Fresh hay and mountain thyme with hints of white flowers and pepper with juicy grapefruit and minerality on the finish. Farming: EU certified organic

Brand 2020 Reisling ‘Feinherb’ $18.99 - Wonderfully aromatic with lively fruit, minerality and a lovely zest and charge on the palate, perfectly balanced by the residual sugar. The Feinherb Riesling has a slight sweetness on the attack, though the sugar melds perfectly into the body, finishing dry and crisp. Farming: EU certified organic, practicing biodynamic

Red Wines

Le Piane 2019 Maggiorina $18.49 – From Italy’s Piedmont comes a lively field blend comprised largely of Nebbiolo. With mineral, spice and floral notes, the Maggiorina is easy drinking, but structured and packed with character. Farming: Lutte raisonnée

Bodega Bernabeleva 2019Camino de Navaherreros $15.99 - With its light color, brilliant aromatics, and vibrant acidity, the Camino de Navaherreros shines like few other Garnacha wines. Farming: Lutte raisonnée

Mary Taylor 2019 Castille Leon $12.99 – Beautiful red color. Ripe and fresh red fruit aromas. Fresh and powerful palate with a lingering finish. Easy to drink now. Farming: Organic

Judith Beck 2018 Zweigelt $19.99 - Bright, dark cherry, black-currant and spicy aromas and flavors with a fresh, berry-fruit finish. Farming: Biodynamic

Quentin Herel 2018 Morgon $23.99 - A deliciously earthy nose, followed by black fruit notes. Quentin Herel’s Morgon is humble and rustic while being immensely appealing and refreshing. Farming: Organic

Mary Taylor 2019 Valençay $18.99 - Notes of red fruits (cherry, blackcurrant), with a hint of spices in the finish. Farmed sustainably and fermented with indigenous yeasts. Farming: Haute Valeur 3, biodynamic

Domain Salvard 2019 Cheverny Rouge $16.49 – A bright garnet-red in the glass. Scents of red cherries, cloves and earth. Fresh and lively on the palate. Flavours of strawberry and licorice dominate. Great acidity and well balanced tannins leading to a crisp finish. Farming: Lutte raisonnée