Wine Cellars In Dallas, TX: Which Wines To Serve For Thanksgiving

Wine cellars in Dallas, TX are filled with wines that are perfect pairings for just about every kind of meal.  If you have a wine cellar or are planning on having one installed, consider the kind of wine you want to have on hand for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner.  Though your first thought might be to choose a white wine that pairs well with poultry, consider the variety of food you’re going to be serving before you decide.  Of course, you’ll have turkey, but you’ll also be serving buttery mashed potatoes, sweet yams, savory stuffing, gravy, tart cranberries and spiced pumpkin pie.  You might find that white wine isn’t necessarily the best choice for such an array of rich dishes.

Sparkling Wine

Start with a bit of the bubbly.  Champagne or sparkling wine are great for serving before dinner - or even with dinner; but be sure to serve sparkling wine labeled “brut,” which is a dry wine, rather than a sweet sparkling wine like Asti Spumante.

White Wine

For many people, the go-to white wine for poultry dinners is Chardonnay; but Chardonnay generally has an oaky intensity that doesn’t work as well as tangier, fruitier whites like:

  ▪ Riesling, which can be dry or sweet and has a spicy, fruity flavor

  ▪ Gewürtztraminer, which also can be dry or sweet but with clove or nutmeg spice notes

  ▪ Chenin Blanc, which is spicy and slightly sweet

  ▪ Sauvignon Blanc, which is light and crisp with herbaceous flavors

Red Wine

When your dinner is as rich as Thanksgiving dinners usually are, it’s perfectly acceptable to serve red wine with the meal, even though the main course is poultry.  You should, however, avoid Cabernet because its high tannins and tartness are not a great match for turkey.  These reds may work better with the meal:

  ▪ Beaujolais, a light, dry wine with fruity flavors that should be served slightly chilled

  ▪ Pinot Noir, a wine that can be fruity when young, and smoky when older

  ▪ Zinfandel, an intense wine with plummy flavors and spicy or peppery notes

  ▪ Syrah, a spicy wine with black pepper qualities

Dessert Wine

For the best accompaniment for your pumpkin pie, try these dessert wines:

  ▪ Port, a sweet, heavily-fortified wine that is fruity when young

  ▪ Riesling or Gewürtztraminer, a sweet version of the same wine you might drink with dinner

  ▪ Sauternes, a sweet, French wine with vanilla, pineapple and peach notes

  ▪ Asti Spumante, a sweet, Italian sparkling wine that should be served chilled      

Most wine cellars in Dallas, TX are already stocked with at least a few of these wines.  If yours isn’t, it’s time to go shopping!  If you don’t have a wine cellar yet, now is the time to get started.  Call us at Vineyard Wine Cellars in Dallas, TX at (866) 615-4008 or visit us online at www.vineyardwinecellars.com to learn more about us.