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Giving Thanks for Good Wine, Today and Everyday

Spanish Wine at Bocado

Spanish Wine at Bocado in Wellesley

Many families celebrate Thanksgiving with their annual traditions. Each year, they follow the same routine, and enjoy the same family recipes. A great way to enhance your Thanksgiving meal without sacrificing tradition is to try new wines to serve with your favorite dishes. Pairing wines with such an important meal can be a bit intimidating. There are so many flavors to complement, and so many people to please, all with different palates. Luckily, the work has been done for you. When hosting, it is always important to choose at least one white and one red wine, despite your personal preference. You also want to practice moderation when it comes to the wine’s structure; moderate fruit, tannins, oak and body. That way, the majority of your guests, if not all of them, will be pleasantly surprised, even if it’s not what they “normally drink”.

Tres Picos BorsaoA white wine I absolutely love for holiday meals is Viognier, (pronounced vee-OHN-yay), the best generally hail from the South of France, but Australia has some surprisingly delicious examples. (This may offend some, but you can just skip over the California Viogniers. Sorry, Cali.) Because it comes from a warmer region, it offers ripe fruit notes of mandarin and apricot, with a very pretty floral nose of orange blossoms. It has a full body which will please oaky chardonnay drinkers, without having strong oak characteristics that often overpower food. The aromatics and freshness will please the guests that prefer lighter style wines. The ripe fruit complement the sweeter side dishes, the full-body stands up to the flavorful turkey, and the acidity makes it incredibly food-friendly, while still being palatable enough to sip on. A second white choice would be a Pinot Gris from Oregon. This will please all the Pinot Grigio drinking Aunties, but will offer more finesse than the Italian versions they are used to. Oregon Pinot Gris is still lighter in body, but it has beautiful stone fruit notes of white peach and nectarine and elegant texture that will impress your guests.

My go-to red wines for the holidays are Grenache and Shiraz. They are actually often blended together to offer the best of both worlds. You will see them in the form of a “GSM” blend in Australia or in a red Cotes-du-Rhone from France. It is important when choosing a Thanksgiving red to stay away from strong, grippy tannins, because they will overpower the food, and make the savory dishes taste bitter, so my inclination is to steer towards the Aussie versions. The Grenache component will please wine drinkers that prefer brighter reds. The Shiraz offers depth and smokiness for those that prefer a bolder style. The Mourvedre offers structure and earthiness that will please your guest that insists they do not enjoy Australian reds, and have them asking for a second glass. The juicy fruit complements all the bold, savory flavors of Thanksgiving, the subtlety of oak proves that less is more, and the combination of new world fruit with old world balance make these interesting wines crowd-pleasers with one of your favorite meals of the year. Spanish Grenache or “Garnacha” most certainly deserves an honorable mention and a place on your dining room table. Garnacha from Cariñena or Campo de Borja has silky texture and a unique expression of blue fruit and balsamic that is worth spending time to seek out.

Now that the most important part of your Thanksgiving meal is taken care of, you have time to focus on other minute details like the turkey, decorating, family disaster emergency preparedness plans, etc. Enjoy your time with your loved ones this Thanksgiving and enjoy great wine while doing so.

Yalumba Viognier

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Sangria from Mezcal Cantina

Sangria from Mezcal Cantina on Major Taylor Boulevard in Worcester, MA

Sangria from Mezcal Cantina on Major Taylor Boulevard in Worcester, MAI was eager to try Mezcal Cantina in their new downtown location. I have long been a fan of their cuisine but not a fan of fighting the crowds in the smaller space formerly located on Shrewsbury Street. The space was open without being overly loud, and homey without being overly rustic. I love all of the establishments managed by the Niche Hospitality Group. In a dining scene dominated by cookie cutter wine lists I can always count of finding something interesting at the Niche restaurants. But on this night I didn’t even look. I went straight for the Sangria. I am so glad that I did. It drank like a wine rather than any sangria I have had elsewhere. It was excellent. The pitcher served both of us two very generous pours. Ice and fruit (cherry and orange) was served on the side – THANK YOU, MEZCAL! The wine was a dense violet color. The intense aromas leapt from the glass with fresh, ripe, red berry fruit with a hint of orange peel. A dry wine, well-structured with a refreshing acidity and just a touch of astringency. However, the best part was it wasn’t syrupy sweet like so many other sangrias I have had. Many sangrias are overly sweet in order to hide flaws such as overt acidity or bitterness. If I had to guess, I would imagine this was made with a Tempranillo or Grenache which tend to be highly aromatic but low in acid. If you are a light red drinker (pinot noir) lover you will love the Sangria at Mezcal. It’s a Sangria you will want to sip rather than swill. Dare I say, it had finesse?!? It paired beautifully with the duck confit quesadilla. The mole sauce which was delicately drawn on the flaky, pastry like tortilla highlighted the subtle spice in the wine. The flavorful savory duck was the perfect companion for the long lasting fruit dominant wine. Delightful!