Wine Review: Serve these wines with Thanksgiving dinner

Let’s be very honest: Planning and preparing a Thanksgiving dinner can be, to say the best for it, daunting. So many flavors to be properly put together could take the wits of a general. In the area of what wine to serve at such a dinner, a misstep in this department could be devastating and cast a shadow on the entire celebration. With all of the sweet side dishes as well as the turkey itself, a very dry wine should not even be considered. On the opposite side of the coin, a very sweet wine could overpower some of the delicately flavored items. Fear not, there are wines in the marketplace that are just made for celebrations like Thanksgiving and/or a Christmas dinner. What is called for are white wines that are slightly sweet (also called off dry), not overpoweringly fruity and most important of all, that will not clash with anything on the table. I also do not recommend that the reader employ a chardonnay as the wine to serve for a thanksgiving dinner as, although the variety is a very popular, I feel that it would be wasted accompanying all of the sweet side dishes on a holiday table.

Dr. Konstantin Frank 2023 Semi-dry Riesling ($19)
I believe that the Germans would classify this wine as “weder hier noch dort.” Translation: Neither here nor there. It is not a dry wine, and it is not a sweet wine – instead it is a wine that beautifully straddles the fence between both styles and is also a wine that will not clash with any items in your Thanksgiving menu. All of the delicate flavors and aromas of holiday foods are not masked or overpowered by the slight sweetness of this wine or its flavor which centers on peach, apple and a light touch of citrus. The wine also has a mild acidity that can actually amplify some of the items on your Thanksgiving table and this wine will be featured on mine.

Concha y Toro 2023 Gran Reserva Serie Riberas Sauvignon Blanc ($18)
This is a wine that rides the fence between the French very dry style and the softer fruit of the California style and is wine that will not clash with the items on your Thanksgiving table. The aroma stresses pear, grapefruit and vanilla with a hint of summer flowers and yeast in the background. The flavor does a 180-degree turn and returns to the classical style of grapefruit, green apple and pear and then finishes with a soft fruit flavor.

Alexander Valley Vineyards 2023 Gewurztraminer ($22)
The Alexander Valley Vineyards 2023 Gewurztraminer is a bright, fruity white wine that has an expansive floral aroma which in no way will clash with the food. While the wine is considered off-dry as it is not sugary syrup sweet but rather derives a light sweetness directly from the fruit. The aroma showcases dried apricots, peaches, rose petals, wildflowers and honey as its main elements. On the palate, there are the flavors of green apple, apricot and mango. To augment and enhance the flavors of the food, there is a crisp acidity to the wine and the sensation of spice in the finish.

Dry Creek Vineyards 2023 Dry Chenin Blanc ($23)
Chenin blanc is another one of those varieties that has been overlooked by many of the California vintners. The variety was relegated to be used for inexpensive white wines even though it was famous for making the excellent sweet white wines of the Loire Valley of France. On the other side of the coin, there are the dry chenin blanc wines of South Africa called steen. In the hands of the Dry Creek vintners, the grape produces an elegant, impressive and flavorful dry white wine offering the aromas of melon, peach and lemon peel. On the palate, the wine displays the flavors of tropical fruits, honeysuckle and rose petals. While this wine has a fruity aroma it is a very good choice for your Thanksgiving table.

I wish to the reader a very happy holiday.

Wine columnist Bennet Bodenstein can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.