Choosing the right wines for Thanksgiving

Every publication has to do the Thanksgiving wine story every year. Here's an inside scoop: They all hate it.

Why? Because you can't say anything new. That doesn't feel right for a magazine, so they look for a different theme every year.

I've written about Thanksgiving wines too many times already myself. But I'm not going to say anything new and different on this blog. Instead, here are the straight-up basics:

1) Thanksgiving is a lousy opportunity for fine-wine pairing. While just about anything works with turkey, cranberry sauce is a killer for red wines. So are sweet potatoes, especially with marshmallow topping.

2) Big family gatherings are the worst time to uncork special bottles. Your Aunt Agnes who normally drinks Manischewitz might be the first to fill her glass with your Lafite-Rothschild. "It's a little dry," Agnes says, before surreptitiously pouring it out.

3) Therefore, don't spend too much, and don't stress too much. Don't bring anything that costs more than $20 to a family Thanksgiving dinner.

4) You can't please everyone with one wine, so don't try. Open several different bottles -- whites, reds and rose's -- and let people pour what they like.

5) Did I say rose'? Great match. And many are on sale.

6) My personal favorites with Thanksgiving are Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. They have the acidity to cleanse the palate of heavy foods like stuffing and mashed potatoes and gravy. If the chef uses sugar in the vegetables, Riesling is the better choice.

7) If you want red wine, go for something light-bodied with good acidity. Pinot Noir is the classic choice for combining quality with food friendliness. Italian Sangiovese-based wines are also a good way to go.

8) Think bubbly! It's a party, right! Not only that, it's a good match for the food. This is a good day to avoid your normal Brut and get a slightly sweet wine -- an Extra Dry, for example (did Karl Rove get to name sweet bubblies?) Your relatives will prefer it, and it's actually a better match with the food.

9) Forget Cabernet, except long after dessert, in the TV room with the football game. But personally, I say forget Cabernet all day long -- the food will make it taste lousy and you will have wasted your prized bottle.

10) I like to serve a nice tawny Port after dessert, but light white dessert wines are also a good choice.

11) Don't stress! No matter what you serve, you're not going to make the pickiest relatives happy. As for the rest, they'll be happy with the great company and the occasion, and as long as the wine is reasonably palatable, it works. Save the heavy thoughts for a day when the meal and wine are the star. If that's true on Thanksgiving, you need to spend more time thinking about your family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us (heh heh) at Wine Rocks.