There is something about the fall season that just makes me happy. I can’t pinpoint it to any one thing; rather its an amalgamation of many elements starting in October and going right through Christmas. The air gets crisp and even when its sunny you need a fleece. The leaves are golden and smell dried and musty; the nighttime air is like mountain air (outside the city that is) and the smell of burning fire penetrates the black night sky. The colors are warm and earthy, and so is the food – root vegetable replace corn and tomatoes and truffles announce themselves with their distinctive and glorious funky perfume.

 

Halloween is the first real marker for me – I get to live out my fantasy of being a blond and eat mini-snickers, that don’t count, all day… then comes Thanksgiving….quite possibly my favorite meal of the year.  What to drink on Halloween is easy (snickers and tequila are a classic combination)….but Thanksgiving is still a work in progress for me. Perhaps that’s because there are just so many great combos with turkey that I keep thinking I will find the decisive pairing. Instead of thinking of Thanksgiving dinner as some hussy who that lets any wine have its way with her (or him!), its time for me to realize that that meal is actually an incredible backdrop to satisfy almost any palette. The whole dinner goes amazingly well with whites and reds alike; its also goes really well with light reds and bolder, spicier reds. It’s probably just the type-A Capricorn in me that wants a decisive rule about pairing Thanksgiving dinner. Since that eludes me, I guess I’ll accept this as some zen message of being flexible (not always my strong point).

 

Of course both white and red Burgundy pair perfectly with the meal (but really, with what do they not pair perfectly?).  White and red Rhone go great too. I have included suggestions for both of these below. The grape that I am kind of obsessed with of late and that goes amazingly well with this meal is Gamay. Gamay is the grape in Beaujolais. Unfortunately, Beaujolais is still associated with Beaujolais Nouveau, that banana-smelling vulgar juice they release quickly every year to make lots of money and permanently discourage anyone from every wanting to try anything remotely associated with it. Beaujolais Nouveau is to Gamay what White Zinfandel is to dry rose – an unfortunate association that bares no resemblance to its doppelganger. The Cru Gamay producers in the Beaujolais make wines that are as interesting and complex as many village Burgundies, but at a fraction of the price. It’s a juicier, more easy-going version of Pinot Noir.  It is the classic pairing in France with roast chicken, and, by extension, the American turkey!

 

The other wines I am crazy about for this very American holiday are American themselves – from Palmina. Palmina was started in 1995 by Steve Clifton, of Brewer Clifton fame. Located in Santa Barbara, they produce wines only from Italian grape varietals. The climate there, which is a cool seventy degrees and sunny all year long, is perfect to produce wines that are bright, crisp and have beautiful acidity to balance their lush fruit. Steve and his wife, Chrystal, feel that wine should be a “glorified side dish”. In Italy, (except for Barolo and Barbaresco of course) wine is not a thing to sit and contemplate, nor is it something that competes or overpowers the food. It is an element of every meal, something passed around and enjoyed as passionately as the Italians enjoy their food, but not something that requires too much reflection or pondering. This is what makes these wines perfect for Thanksgiving dinner. I mean, some of us might want to ponder the wine so that we don’t have to ponder what our right-wing uncle just said….but usually I want a wine that is going to turn me on and let me geek out, but that I won’t have to explain to my cousins who think Yellowtail is really good juice. Palmina bridges that gap for me.

 

I could pontificate about every wine I have listed below, but will instead leave you the list and if you have specific questions, please do email me (liz@willettewines.com). Otherwise trust me when I tell you all these wines will greatly enhance your holiday and help you digest your food. They may even make your mother-in-law’s dried out Turkey edible!

 

I have included wines for every budget as well. Remember, there is nothing wrong with serving one wine to your relatives and keeping a ‘special carafe’ for yourself in the pantry!

 

Happy and safe Thanksgiving to you all!

 

To order wine, please call Bottlerocket  212-929-2323 or email Travis@bottlerocket.com to place and order. Minimum 3btls per customer.

 

SPARKLING & CHAMPAGNE

 

Parigot & Richard Cremant de Bourgogne

Parigot & Richard has been making cremant in Savigny-Les-Beaune for five generations in the Methode Champenoise. They pick by hand and ferment in stainless steel. Though this is the only appellation in Burgundy allowed to blend grapes, they ferment each varietal separately.  The wines are riddled by hand and aged for at least 18 months before being disgorged. The wines are all vintage although are labeled and priced as non-vintage wines. There is a pride of place with this family, and a dedication to never compromise quality. With Champagne prices still at an all-time high, I was thrilled to find a pourable Cremant that I would blind for the real deal.

 

NV Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs

90% Chardonnay; 10% Aligoté

$23                                                                                                                                           

 

NV Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé

100% Pinot Noir

$23                                                                                                                                           

 

Guy Charlemagne Brut Champagne

Guy Charlemagne is a family owned estate, producing wine since 1892. It is now run by Philippe Charlemagne, whose saying "quality is my truth" is the mantra and passion of his personnel. His thirteen hectares of Chardonnay vineyards are located in the heart of the small village of Les Mesnil sur Oger, in Crus Mesnil sur Oger and Oger. The average age of the vines is 30 years. By practicing "culture raisonée" (non-interventionalist farming, almost organic but will do "what is reasonable" to protect disease in the vines if necessary) and adding very little dosage, he is able to express the quality of his world-class terroir.

 

NV Guy Charlemagne Réserve Brut ‘Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs’             

750ml: $49                                                                                                                 

375ml: $25                                                                                                                                           

 

NV Guy Charlemagne Brut Rosé

This is made from 100% Pinot Noir, produced in the now rare ‘saignée’ method.

$50                                                                                                                             

 

WHITE & RED BURGUNDY

 

Domaine des Gerbeaux Pouilly Fuisse

Domaine des Gerbeaux is a small biodynamic estate created in 1896 by owner and winemaker Jacques Charvet (Jean-Michel Drouin’s grandfather).  The main part of the estate is in the appellation Pouilly-Fuisse with 12 acres. A small parcel is in Saint Veran and the rest is in Macon Village.  Harvests are done at prime maturity with balanced alcohol and acidity, producing wines with finesse and freshness. 100% Chardonnay from high elevation vineyards with vines up to 85 years old.  Aged 8 to 10 months in French oak.

 

2007 Pouilly Fuissé ‘Terroir de Pouilly et Fuissé’

$32             

 

François d’Allaines

Francois is a negociant, but buys only the finest grapes from some of Burgundies best names.  He is in the vineyard at harvest in order to do a proper triage, and keeps his wine in oak for 18 months to render a lean and racy white Burgundy.

 

2007 Bourgogne Blanc

$21                                                                                                                                                                                                      

 

2005 Meursault ‘Poruzots’

$45                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

 

 

Camille Giroud

The eponymous winery was founded in 1865. It was passed down through the generations, first to Camille's son, Lucien, and then to his grandsons, Bernard and Francois. The winery was then bought by Joe Wender and Ann Colgin in 2001. One of the ways they insured the traditional style of the future wines was to hire winemaker David Croix. The grapes are mostly de-stemmed and pressed in a pre-1920's wooden press. David uses no new oak in his village wines and up to 20% in the Grand Cru, preferring to let the fruit and terroir from each appellation speak for itself.

                                                                                   

2006 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru – 91 WS

$110                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                       

2007 Bourgogne Rouge

$29                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                                           

2007 Maranges 1er Cru ‘Croix aux Moines’   

$38

 

2007 Gevrey Chambertin ‘Les Crais’                                                                                   

$51                                                                                                                                           

 

2007 Pommard 1er Cru ‘Epenots’

$74                                                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                                         

2007 Chambertin Grand Cru                                                                                    

$237                                                                                                                                                           

 

Domaine Martray – THIS IS GAMAY!!

Laurent Martray produces his tiny production from 9 hectares of vineyards - half owned and the other half rented from Chateau de la Chaize. The Cotes de Brouilly Vieilles Vignes is made from 80-year-old vines and fermented in large oak vats. Les Feuilles is made from 60-year-old vines on granite soil.  This is Gamay the way we like it – a bit rustic and very mineral. 

 

2007 Brouilly ‘Vieilles Vignes’

$22                                                                                                                                                         

 

2006 Brouilly ‘Les Feuillées’

$24             

 

RHONE

 

Jean Louis Chave

Jean-Louis makes these négociant wines to showcase what he believes to be the potential appellations with which he works. The Côtes du Rhône ‘Mon Coeur’ is a blend of four distinct terroir from the area around Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The St. Joseph ‘Offerus’ is a blend of 10 different terroir in St. Joseph that Jean-Louis helps farm and vinify. The Crozes comes from hillside vineyards, one of which is his own. All the wines are bought finished and then raised in his barrels in his cuverie.

 

2007 Crozes-Hermitage Blanc ‘Sybèle’ – 100% Marsanne

$27                                                                                                                                                         

 

2007 Côtes du Rhône ‘Mon Cœur’ - Grenache/Syrah blend

$23                                                                                                                              

 

 

GERMANY

 

Mosel - Philipps-Eckstein

This tiny estate in Graache-Schaferei owns three hectares of the famous Graacher Himmelreich and Dompbropst vineyards along with such heavy-weights as Wili Schaefer, Kerpen and various Prüm estates. Old vines, low yields and steep, well-drained vineyards contribute to the quality and style of these beautifully made wines. Patrick Philipps, now having run the business for the past five years, has a line of wines that are comprised of very small quantities of individual parcels vinified separately.  Each wine is remarkably distinct, ranging from the elegance and balance from the basic dry Riesling to the stunning noble late harvest wines. As of yet, all of the estate’s production has been sold to private customers.

                                                                                   

2007 Riesling Kabinett Feinherb ‘Graacher Domprobst’

$20                                                                                                                                           

 

2006 Riesling Spatlese ‘Graacher Domprobst’**

$24

 

SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA

 

Palmina

Steve Clifton, winemaker and owner, produced his first Palmina wines in the basement of his home in 1995.  He now runs the winery with his wife Chrystal, and their shared passion for everything Italian is expressed in these soulful wines. Palmina’s wines are based on Italian varietals and are made to celebrate Italian culture with a California twist. White wines are vinified in stainless steel. Red wines are aged mainly in aged oak barrels.

 

2008 Arneis

$22                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

2007 Barbera ‘Santa Barbara County’

$24                                                                                                                             

 

2007 Sangiovese/Merlot ‘Alisos’ Santa Barbara

$28                                                                                                               

 

2005 Nebbiolo ‘Santa Barbara County’

$34                                                                                                                                            

 

Melville

Melville is owned by father and son Ron and Chad Melville, with Greg Brewer as their winemaker. After having owned vineyards in Napa, Ron Melville came to Santa Rita and never looked back. Calculated composting, complex cover cropping practice and deficit irrigation, matched with a tremendous amount of crop reduction and canopy management are the critical components to Melville’s strength as wine growers.

 

2007 Estate Chardonnay

$31                                                                                                                             

             

2008 Estate Pinot Noir

$37                                                                                                                                           

 

                                                                                                                                           

2007 Syrah ‘Verna’s’

$26