WINO 101

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Welcome to the Fifth Annual Carpe Vinum “What Wines Do You Serve With Turkey?” Thanksgiving Primer! That’s right! We’ve been recommending these things for your Thanksgiving table for five long years. Well, I guess it’s once a year, not throughout the year. I mean, not to say that no-one ever cooks a turkey on any day outside Thanksgiving, but you know . . . statistically speaking, this is when my recommendations helps the most, right? Also keep in mind that these are wines that pair well with turkey, not wines FROM Turkey. There aren’t very many Turkish wines, and although they may pair well with a turkey, they’re terribly expensive and awfully sweet. Dessert wines, mostly. But I digress. Again.

So recommending wines to go with a certain type of food can be a daunting task. I’ve checked out a number of recommendation charts in books, magazines and online pairing charts and I can’t honestly say that I agree with those things 100% of the time. In fact, one of those such charts was very vague and generic. Cabs and Merlots with beef and lamb. General whites with fish. And pretty much every other food listed “Chianti, Dolcetto, Rioja, Pinot Noir and Beaujolais.” Very vague. And didn’t really account for regional variation. But what I recommend, as many others may say as well, is to drink what you like.

What do I like? Well . . . all kinds of things. In a job such as this I kinda need a diverse set of personal tastes. There are just too many different wines out there to drink any one kind. But when it comes to pairing to food, I seem to find that I’d drink Syrah or Grenache with just about anything. Except shrimp. Or sushi. But that’s another story. But for the Holiday spread, in my experience, there really are several wines that are classic combinations to the Thanksgiving spread. So here’s a small list of some of the favorites.

Pinot Noir! We’re swimming in a sea of the stuff, here in Oregon. And really, It’s one of the classic combinations for pairing with the Turkey. It’s light (or should be) with an earthy flavor, yet is perfectly suited for clearing the palate. Oregon Pinot Noir isn’t the only one out there. There are also the French Burgundies. Many would say Burgundy warrants the mention before Oregon, but hey, Oregon is closer to home. Oh, wait, it IS home. There are Pinots from all around the world. I’d say just about any of them would work well.

Gamay Noir! This is the grape of the French Beaujolais. Now, now. Don’t make that face. Beaujolais is a big place and has a lot more to offer than that unimpressive one you had a few years ago. In fact, I go through the same thing every year. Just like convincing everyone that not all Gewurztraminers, Rieslings and Muscats are sickly-sweet, not all Beaujolais is the light, bubble-gummy lifeless plonk they fly out this time in November. The Cru Beaujolais, certain villages like Moulin-a-Vent, Morgon, and Cotes de Brouilly are great examples of what Gamay can do. I’m really partial to the Gamays from Morgon, but also I think one of the top producing areas of the world for Gamay is Oregon. Unfortunately, though, Pinot Noir fetches a higher price, so people keep plowing up the Gamay Noir to plant more Pinot . . . a practice I consider terribly shortsighted and a shameful mistake. Consider this my call to Oregon vineyard owners out there — Plant more Gamay!

Something Red and Bubbly (this way comes)! Over the last few Thanksgiving tastings, I’ve discovered something that no-one else talks about for turkey/wine pairing. The first revelation came with a sparkling Lambrusco. Now, now. Don’t make that face. This isn’t the $4 swilling Lambrusco from years past, but it is a wine that is fun and one to not be taken too seriously. Since that revelation I’ve brought in several different sparkling shiraz and other such dark and bubbly wines. This time I’ve brought in a new sparkling Grenache/Shiraz that I found, but I’m also bringing back some of the other sparkling reds that did so well in the past.

Lemberger/Blaufrankisch! This is a grape with roots in Austria, but also seems to be doing quite well in our own Washington. I’ve been enjoying this one even more in the recent years as an easy-drinking quaffer with softer tannins but still a remarkable amount of fruit and substance. It’s another dark horse that often gets forgotten by the pairing guides.

Whatever you like! Of course, this is the most important rule. If you want a Zinfandel, no one should tell you differently regardless of what someone tells you to drink. Perhaps you only drink white. (I’d say most white wines would pair with most poultry.) And sometimes the main element is just having wine on the table, regardless of what it is. But with this as a guide, at least you have the reassurance of some sure-fire hits.

So Friday, November 16th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Turkey Wines!!!
Patritti NV Shargren (Grenache/Shiraz . . . get it? Shar-Gren), Australia
Amity 2005 Gamay Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Domaine Dubost 2005 Morgon (Gamay Noir), Beaujolais, France
Willamette Valley Vineyards 2006 Whole Cluster Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Kiona 2005 Lemberger, Red Mountain, Washington

That is, not wines FROM Turkey, but what to serve with . . . turkey!!!
Seufert Winery 2006 Pinot Noir, Momtazi Vineyard, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Anam Cara 2004 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon

A stellar deal at $10 for the First 5, $6 for the Extra 2 Premium Pours. $2 for that extra white wine.

Also: Art show! It’s that time again! Arts Integrity, the fine operation that supplies Carpe Vinum with the art that graces our walls, has the year-end show that is a retrospective collaboration of the many artists on the Arts Integrity roster. For more information about Arts Integrity, the artists represented, examples of artwork being shown, or if you are an artist interested in being represented in locales like Carpe Vinum, check out http://www.everywhereart.net/ .

Hope to see you here!

Seize the Wine!

Next Friday tasting is The French Rhone!

M