Wines for your Thanksgiving feast
Niagara Grape and Wine Festival over, you’d feel we should move on with everything, and like many stores get ready for the winter.
Boo on the stores that already have their winter clothes and displays out.
For myself and my wife, autumn or harvest season is our favourite time of year, and we always try to make the most of it.
In fact, it is the time when we start visiting local wineries.
Now that the tourist flood is over, but the harvest is still ongoing, it’s the best time to visit and sample from our favourite wineries.
And it’s also the time when I think about what to buy for Thanksgiving.
Personally, I think our Thanksgiving is better than in the U.S. because it’s earlier.
Officially recognized by Parliament in 1879 designating a national day of thanksgiving, it wasn’t until 1957 when it pinned down the date. On Jan. 31 that year, Governor General Vincent Massey proclaimed: “A day of general thanksgiving to almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed — to be observed on the second Monday in October.”
Although my wine and food choices have been set in at least wet cement at this point, I thought I’d inquire with a couple of wellknown local chefs what they would be serving this coming weekend and their choices for wine.
I messaged Andrew McLeod, who has been gaining well-deserved attention with his new restaurant Bolete on St. Paul Street in St. Catharines.
For his menu, he said he would make truffle and honey-glazed Cornish hen along with spiced carrot, bread pudding, mustard greens and jus gras. Jus gras is often described as the “fatty juice” in the bottom of the roasting pan. You don’t need a lot because it produces a lot of flavours.
For his wine choice he recommended Westcott Estate Chardonnay 2016.
I recalled tasting the Reserve Chardonnay 2015 at the beginning of this year and noted well-contained oak, with a typical creamy taste and a subtle touch of lemon at the very end. Very elegant. The 2016 Estate promises baked apple and spice and dry yet creamy on the palate.
I also asked well-known chef Eric Peacock, from Wellington Court, for his suggestions.
“This Thanksgiving we are serving a turkey for sure, but I’m making gnocchi with a smoked pork hock ragu,” he said. “After we braise the pork hock we strain the liquid and reduce it by two-thirds. The gnocchi is finished with that liquid.”
He recommended the Speck Family Reserve Chardonnay from Henry of Pelham that I tasted in February of this year.
Again, aromas of apple along with freshly baked bread and judicious use of barrel fermentation add a level of complexity and a wonderful “mouthfeel.”
While both chefs picked out Chardonnays, other choices will work well for the holiday meal.
Turkey is very versatile when it comes to wine, the white meat light enough to handle white wines, yet flavourful enough to handle lighter more delicate reds. In fact, the soft tannins of a Niagara Pinot Noir will work quite well.
An excellent example is the Konzelman Pinot Noir 2016. A new favourite of mine, it’s a lively but smooth red that has the acidity to pair with your meal. It shows lots of red cherries and surprising length for a wine priced under $14 at LCBO.
And don’t forget about the Niagara Rieslings. There are too many good choices from Niagara, but for this time of year, Cave Spring Estate Riesling comes to mind with crisp acidity in a light- to mediumbodied white. It might do well with medallions of pork with a Riesling sauce that I might try.
Have a great holiday.