I would like to make a recommendation for your Thanksgiving celebration this year: pairing sparkling wine with Thanksgiving! Open the first bottle of sparkling wine (or champagne) for the initial toast. Open the second, third and perhaps fourth bottles of sparkling wine to enjoy during the meal. You will find that the sparkling wine pairs beautifully with just about every Thanksgiving dish.
I’m not suggesting that you serve only sparkling wine, but I am suggesting that you serve it very front and center, and you encourage people to try it with the turkey, the stuffing and all the other delicious dishes.
Why is pairing sparkling wine with Thanksgiving so wonderful?
Sparkling Wine Is a Great Cleanser
You eat a delicious but HEAVY bite of Thanksgiving fare. The moment you sip sparkling wine, your mouth is cleansed, and you feel very ready for another bite of food.
In contrast, a heavier wine, which you might ordinarily pair with the dish you’re serving, would be more of the same – heavy on top of heavy. No cleansing whatsoever.
Sparkling Wine Is Great with Appetizers
Sparkling wine pairs wonderfully with a number of great appetizers. According to seriouseats.com, “bubblies pair beautifully with hors d’oeuvres like chicken liver mousse, shrimp cocktail, or oysters.”
Here are just a few more Thanksgiving-friendly appetizers that will pair well with sparkling wine:
- Bread slices topped with brie and pear
- Crackers topped with pecorino cheese and dried apricots
- Stuffed mushrooms
- Olives
Sparkling Wine Is Great with Main Courses
Sparkling wine pairs beautifully with the more serious parts of the meal, such as turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes. It holds up nicely to all of these dishes without overtaking them and, as mentioned earlier, it offers a refreshing and much needed cleansing property.
Cheers to a healthy, happy and SPARKLING Thanksgiving!
As an independent wine consultant with WineShop At Home, I absolutely enjoy bringing a taste of the Napa wine country home to you one sip at a time. Whether you simply love to drink wine, seek a special personalized wine gift, or are in search of a new wine jobs opportunity as a wine consultant, feel free to contact me for a truly unique wine tasting experience!
Cheers,
Betty Kaufman, WineShop At Home
4 comments
We are going to open up our sparkling wine from Wine House at Home to have with Thanksgiving dinner. Based on what you say it will be a home run. 🙂
whoops, mis-type. Wine Shop at Home. This is what happens when I hit “reply” before proof reading. 🙂
I’m so glad. I think you will love it. I’m doing the same. Have a great Thanksgiving!
Hee hee