Thanksgiving Wine Pairings
Thanksgiving is one week away and if wine pairing is not your forte, not to worry we are here to help. Whether you want to venture out and try a new kind of wine to pair with a variety of foods and flavors or want a wine that is tried and true, we have got your food and wine pairing tips covered from A to Zin!
In this video, Monique Soltani makes a grape escape along the Wine Road less traveled for her award-winning channel Wine Oh TV, and visits two Northern Sonoma County wineries to get the goods on the best wines to pair with any Thanksgiving Dinner.
Thanksgiving Wine Reviews
Stuhlmuller Vineyards 2010 Alexander Valley Reserve Chardonnay: This wine offers compelling aromas of poached pear, yellow plum and sweet pastry, with hints of orange blossom, vanilla, perfume and Meyer lemon. The palate is full and creamy, but with an acid-inspired freshness and a hint of minerality that supports vibrant ripe citrus and pear flavors. Well-integrated oak adds hints of vanilla and spice to this complex and age-worthy Chardonnay.
Stuhlmuller Vineyards 2010 Alexander Valley Estate Zinfandel: From its intense aromas of plum, licorice, Kirsch, clove, allspice and violets to its lush flavors of sweet plum, blackberry cream custard and boysenberry this is an enticing expression of Zinfandel. The palate is silky smooth, with fine tannins and enough acidity to keep everything fresh and bright. Hints of spice and pink peppercorns add to a long satisfying Zin finish.
Russian Hill Estate Winery 2011 Viognier: 2011 Viognier is a light, crisp, refreshing white. This racy wine is highly distinctive with its nose of white nectarines, lime, almonds and a touch of tropical fruits including pineapple and rambutan (a lychee relative). On the palate, the lime flavor comes through, but without overt citrus qualities, tasting more like the dried lime spice. There is a distinct “white flower” flavor to this wine, although without the sweetness of honeysuckle or jasmine.
Russian Hill Estate Winery 2009 Estate Vineyards Pinot Noir: This deep garnet wine has a complex nose of spice, boysenberry, black tea and forest floor. On the palate the wine has a refreshing, brisk mouthfeel with rich flavors of plum, blueberry, boysenberry, cinnamon, clove and sassafras cola. The beauty of the wine is in its bright, well defined flavors and its long finish.
Stuhlmuller Vineyards
4951 West Soda Rock Lane Healdsburg California 95448
707-431-7745
Since 1982, Stuhlmuller Vineyards has built a reputation as growers of world-class grapes, selling their coveted fruit to a number of top area wineries. By the mid-‘90s, Fritz Stuhlmuller was so inspired by the complex wines being made from his family’s vineyard that he established a small, artisan winery bearing the Stuhlmuller name.
In 2000 Stuhlmuller Vineyards built a new winery on the property, sized precisely to handle the small amounts of world-class, estate fruit the Stuhlmullers select to create their wines. Guided by gifted winemaker Leo Hansen, Stuhlmuller Vineyards handcrafts, small-lot wines that embody a rich, expressive charm, and a distinctive sense of place.
The tasting room is open to the public 11am-4:30pm, appointments are suggested but not necessary. Tastings are free and typically include four wines including Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and rather small lots of Zinfandel, Petite Syrah or a library selection.
Guests are welcome to picnic on the property while viewing the 150 acres of grapevines!
Russian Hill Estate Winery
4525 Slusser Rd. Windsor CA 95492
707-575-9428
Russian Hill Estate, a family owned and operated winery, is located in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Using the utmost care from vineyard to bottle, Russian Hill is dedicated to the production of world-class Pinot noir and Syrah. The key philosophy of the winery is to maintain the highest degree of excellence in viticultural and winemaking practices to allow wines to fully express the various vineyards that are their source.
Edward Gomez and Ellen Mack established Russian Hill in 1997 after a two-year intensive search for the appropriate site. It was imperative that the land be capable of producing outstanding estate vineyards but also allow for construction of a winery. Only by having full control of both the vineyard and wine production, did the team at Russian Hill feel they could produce wines of the quality they envisioned.
Tasting Thursday through Monday 10:00-4:00.
Wine Type: Chardonnay, Late Harvest Wines, Pinot Noir, Port, Rosé, Syrah, Viognier
Nice wine picks!
Thanks so much Alana! I wish it was Thanksgiving today so I could drink all the wines NOW! Cheers:) Monique