By Liz Miller, West End Wine Manager
The one holiday my family makes an effort to get together for is Thanksgiving. Even though my dad decided that Christmas didn’t align with his beliefs, and that he wouldn’t partake in it anymore, and my aunt told me the other version of the Pilgrims’ colonization of America when I brought home something relating to the “first Thanksgiving” feast - no doubt a tiny traced hand, made to look like a turkey. Even after we all moved to other cities, missing birthdays and quality time with one another, we still manage to meet up for that big family meal once a year. I’ve always felt fortunate, thankful even, to have a small family that manages to get along pretty well. Thankful that we share similar values and beliefs, and that we can all get together just for the sake of spending time with one another.
Thanksgiving at my grandparents’ house begins with the inaugural smoking of a turkey on the same small Weber Kettle grill that my grandpa has had since the 1980s. My dad and aunt on the other hand are both vegetarian, so they bring along their own fake meat that vaguely resembles a turkey - or a football for that matter. My grandma uses the drippings from the turkey to make the gravy for the omnivores, then a separate gravy for the vegetarians. She also makes two stuffings or “dressings” as she calls them - one that was stuffed in the cavity of the turkey, and another for the herbivores. I always enjoy the vegetarian “stuffing” more because it’s buttery with crisp edges from being baked in the oven. Green bean casserole and mashed potatoes have become my specialty over the years- and let me tell you, there would be a fit if there weren’t any mashed potatoes at our Thanksgiving table. Let’s not forget the lowly can of cranberry jelly that lays sadly on a dish, still in its original can formation - ridges and all. The grand finale though… My grandma’s pumpkin pie! She freezes her pumpkins from Halloween to make the filling, but the best part is her homemade crust (even if she does use Crisco instead of butter). My grandpa is probably the only one that puts whipped cream on his slice, but my grandma makes sure there’s some around for him anyway.
All that to say that Thanksgiving is about accommodating the ones you love, because you want to see them happy, especially if you're only able to see them once a year. So I’m not going to sit here and tell you what I think will pair perfectly with your Thanksgiving dinner, especially when that means something different for everyone. Instead, I’m going to tell you to buy that buttery, oaky Chardonnay that your aunt likes (I’m looking at you, House of Brown), or heck, even that cheap yellow American lager that your dad likes (I’m looking at you, Hamm’s). Get the people what they want, and they will be thankful.
My family may be different from yours, but since I won’t be spending Thanksgiving with them this year, here’s a look into what they’d be drinking alongside their Thanksgiving meal:
Grandma - Begonia Sangria Tinta 1L 13.99
If you’ve been following these newsletters long enough, you’ll know that my grandma only drinks sangria or an occasional margarita. Lucky for her, we have a truly delicious liter bottle option to send her dancing on the table tops (family inside joke). Produced on the Iberian peninsula of Spain, and made using Monastrell and Bobal grapes that have been blended with Mediterranean herbs, spices, and Valencia oranges - this sangria is a real bang for its buck! Serve it straight up, or add your favorite fruit - you know the alcohol soaked fruit is everyone’s favorite part of sangria.
Grandpa - Niepoort Tawny Port 21.99
My great-grandmother was a rum runner in the 1930s who dated baseball players, and drank port wine before bedtime - that’s where my grandpa picked up his habit, and it's why port (tawny specifically) is now his drink of choice. This port is aged on oak for 3-5 years, and although it remains youthfully fruity and luscious on the palate, it shares delicate nutty aromas and hints of dried fruit that are expected with a tawny. I actually think this one would pair beautifully with that slice of pumpkin pie and whipped cream.
Dad - 3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek 750 ml. 27.99
My dad loves sour and funk in his beverages. One of his all time favorite beers is 3 Fonteinen’s Oude Kriek, a Belgian fruit beer spontaneously fermented on macerated sour cherries, and aged lambiks. If you're into true sour styles like gueuzes and lambiks, then you naturally make a pilgrimage to Brussels, Belgium and take the train to Halle to visit all of the breweries there. Earlier this year, my dad and I did just that. The day before, we went to the oldest cheese shop in Brussels, bought a grocery bag’s worth of interesting looking cheeses, purely based on how weird they looked; we also bought a baguette, and some small sausages for myself. The next day, we hopped on the train to Halle to drink 3 Fonteinen’s Oude Kriek straight from the barrel, while eating our cheese and drinking other 3 Fonteinen delights under a tree in their field. It was a memory I’ll never forget.
Eating Cheese With a Bee and a Slug at 3 Fonteinen
Aunt - Marcel Lapierre Raisins Gaulois ‘23 19.99
Truthfully, I don’t know much about my aunt’s drinking habits, other than when she took a liking to a fruity wine produced near her in Florida. Beaujolais legend Marcel Lapierre originally made this wine to be drunk like a beer, fresh and chilled. His son now produces the wines, and this vintage is as lively, fruity, and juicy as ever. Not only do I think that my aunt could get down with this wine, but if I had one choice for a traditional Thanksgiving meal pairing, this would no doubt be it!
