With the holidays quickly approaching it is time to stock up on your wine! Here are 5 perfect turkey dinner pairing suggestions by Jesse from Vine Arts in Calgary!
Meinklang Prosa Sparkling Rosé – Burgenland, Austria
This combines two great turkey dinner pairings – rosé and bubbles – into one delicious bottle! Meinklang is a holistic farm located right on the border between Austria and Hungary, and in fact, they have landed in both countries. Not only do they grow wine grapes using biodynamic methods, but they also have a herd of humanely raised cattle, orchards, wheat fields and more all farmed with love and using organic/biodynamic methods. This sparkling rosé is bright and fresh, made from a blend of 80% Pinot Noir along with the local grapes Blaufrankisch and Zweigelt. The bright red fruit notes pair perfectly with the cranberry sauce, while the bubbles help to refresh the palate and make way for more stuffing!
Max Ferd. Richter “Zeppelin” Riesling – Mosel, Germany
Riesling is a perfect turkey dinner pairing for a multitude of reasons – the bright acidity helps to cleanse the palate, while a touch of sweetness works well with the big flavours of a holiday feast. Max Ferd. Richter has been run by the same family for 10 generations crafting beautiful wines from some of the top vineyards in the Mosel. This Riesling comes from the Mülheimer Sonnenlay vineyard and is affectionately known as the “Zeppelin” Riesling to commemorate the fact it was served aboard the luxurious airships “Graf Zeppelin” and “Hindenburg”…talk about history! As wine writer Terry Theise puts it – this is “sweet like an apple, not like a twinkie”.
Calliope Viognier – Okanagan Valley, BC
Calliope is the second label of the famed Burrowing Owl winery in Oliver, BC. The wines are made at the same facility as Burrowing Owl with the same attention to detail, making this a great value. The Viognier jumps from the glass with notes of apricot, peach, papaya, honeysuckle and much more. The wine is dry, but the intensity of the fruit and medium-bodied texture help to stand up to the assertive flavours of a full turkey feast.
Malivoire Gamay – Niagara, Ontario
Located on the Beamsville Bench in Niagara, the winery was founded by Martin Malivoire in 1996. Martin had an impressive career in Hollywood as a director of motion picture special effects and purchased his first vineyard in 1995. The winery is certified under Ontario’s Sustainable Winemaking Program and they are Members at Large of Oregon’s LIVE initiative. This wine is also vegan-friendly.
Gamay is a thin-skinned grape most often found in France, which is proving to be well suited to our Canadian winemaking regions. This is light-bodied, but full flavoured with notes of cherry, raspberry, spring flowers and spice. This is a great alternative for Pinot Noir lovers looking to try something new and is a very versatile food wine. We suggest serving it slightly chilled.
Domaine Santa Duc “Les Quatre Terres” Cotes-du-Rhone – Rhone Valley, France
While lighter red wines like Pinot Noir and Gamay may be the classic turkey dinner pairing, we think the warm and enticing red wines from France’s Rhone Valley are also a great match! This is a blend comprised primarily of Grenache and Syrah from certified biodynamic vineyards located in four different communes in the Cotes-du-Rhone. You can almost taste the Mediterranean sun in this wine, with ripe notes of roasted strawberry, cranberry, wild herbs and much more. It’s a full-bodied red, but the soft tannins help to make it a perfect partner for your holiday feast!