42 ;e Costco Connection NOVEMBER 2016
BY ANNETTE ALVAREZ-PETERS
EACH YEAR I ;eld lots
of questions concerning
which wines to serve at
;anksgiving festivities.
Friends and family alike
are perplexed by this particular holiday meal for
food and wine pairings.
;e broad ;avor spectrum of a turkey spread,
with all the splendor of salty, buttery, rich,
savory, sweet and tart, can make for some
challenging wine choices. But the ;avor spectrum of wines is equally broad, and, with a
little contemplation, you can enhance one of
everyone’s favorite meals of the year.
Because palates and tastes di;er, a couple
of important points should be considered
when choosing wine. What do you and your
guests normally enjoy drinking? And precisely what dishes are you trying to complement? I prefer to set a number of di;erent
wines on the table and let the guests determine what most appeals to their palates.
I asked some pretty savvy wine a;ciona-dos—Costco’s regional wine buyers—for wine
recommendations for the ;anksgiving feast.
Here are their favorite tips.
Sparkling wines
Starting the day with sparkling wine is
always appropriate. ;e sounds of opening the
pressurized bottle and seeing the beautiful
pale golden bubbles rise in a crystal glass make
sparkling wine an occasion in itself. Tracie
Rueffer, our Texas and Louisiana regional
buyer, quotes F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Too much of
anything is bad, but too much Champagne is
just right!”
Rue;er has a fondness for all things bub-
bly. She goes on to explain, “Sparkling wine is
laughter in a bottle, both fun and fancy. Pop
open a bottle, watch the bubbles rise and toast
life every day.”
As for ;anksgiving, Rue;er further sug-
gests, “;e palate-cleansing bubbles make for
a perfect pairing with appetizers and ;nger
foods, especially with a glass of a favorite rosé
Champagne.” ;ere are many wallet-friendly
Champagne alternatives that deliver tremen-
dous value and ;avors, such as the terri;c
sparklers from California, Italy and Spain.
Scott Larson, a Northwest regional buyer,
notes that sparkling wine instantly reminds
him of happy times: “;ere’s no better way to
celebrate than with a glass of bubbles. ;e
crisp, acidic nature of the wine is considered
by many as the ultimate food wine.”
White varieties
While some consider chardonnay a ques-
tionable choice for the ;anksgiving table, it
is the best-selling varietal in the U.S., and
therefore shouldn’t be ignored. Tina Boyle,
Los Angeles regional buyer, loves chardonnay
because “it displays all kinds of ;avors, espe-
cially the tropical expressions that I enjoy with
;anksgiving turkey.”
Boyle feels chardonnay is great for some-
one new to wine, as the grape is “very approach-
able and guaranteed to leave you smiling.”
Chardonnay is made in a plethora of styles.
For ;anksgiving, choose an unoaked (not
aged in oak barrels) chardonnay or a fruity,
leaner style, as these will pair best with the
typical variety of dishes.
Another food-friendly white wine is riesling. Germany, Austria, Washington state and
New York state are all sources for quality ries-
Festive wines
Our favorites for your feasts
FOR YOUR TABLE
