CFRA News Talk Radio

October 6th, 2023

Theme:  Top Sommelier Recommended Wines for Thanksgiving

Overview: Today on CFRA News Talk Radio, CFRAs Patricia Boal and Sommelier Matt Steeves showcased some of their top recommended wines to enjoy this Thanksgiving and throughout Autumn.  Listen to our interview here on iheartradio.ca

From Spanish Cava to Canadian Chardonnay, Riesling, or elegant Ontario Pinot Noir, refreshing Valpolicella Superiore, big and juicy California red blends, Matt’s Autumn-inspired wine recommendations include something for everyone, for every palate, every preference. 

So, you’re hosting a Thanksgiving dinner this weekend with a full table of family and friends. You’ve got your meal planned, perhaps a traditional oven-roasted turkey with all the sides? Maybe something a bit less onerous, perhaps Uber will be delivering, the point is, you’ve got that covered, congratulations, it’s a big part of the equation!  But what about the wines?   Cue the dramatic music…

Does the thought of selecting ‘the right’ wines trigger a bit of anxiety? If it does your not alone. Whether it’s the task of scrolling through endless pages on http://www.LCBO.com or walking into the LCBO with rows stocked floor to ceiling with hundreds of wines from all around the world, in an array of different styles, and at every price imaginable. The thought of trying to navigate that sea of bubbly, whites, reds, etc., to find the one wine (or two or three) that will complement your meal, fit within your budget, and put smiles on your guests’ faces… that’s a lot to manage, I get it. It’s one of the reasons I decided to go to Sommelier school. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with some great options for your special Thanksgiving plans which I’m confident you and your guests will love.

So which wines to chose?

Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir, especially premium Canadian offerings…they work so well this time of year.  Their versatility and compatibility with a wide range of dishes make them exceptional choices for shoulder season dining and we’ve got a few terrific options today to put on your menu.    

Riesling is incredibly versatile and comes in a wide range of styles from bone-dry to dessert sweet and everything in-between.  The acidity in Riesling is typically high and therefore naturally makes it very refreshing and a great to complement or contrast to a wide range of dishes from rich and creamy soups to spicy cuisine and everything in-between.

Chardonnay also can be found in many different styles, oaked and non-oaked being two ends of the spectrum, but each style balanced to provide harmony amongst the fruit, acidity, and texture which all contribute to enhancing the pairing experience.  Ontario continues to gain international acclaim for their cool-climate Chardonnay which are earing top accolades each year.  These wines make exceptional Thanksgiving pairings.

Pinot Noir is often a very lightly coloured wine, it can be very elegant and refreshing, not over powering but full of flavour which makes it a great choice for roasted poultry and root vegetables, complementing the balance of red fruits, herbal (and often earthy) characteristics found in many Pinots around the world.

Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir are a mere intro to countless great wine recommendations you can enjoy this Thanksgiving. 

Looking for an alternative to Pinot Noir, then I highly recommend trying a Valpolicella Superiore from Italy.  Made from the same grapes that Amarone is made from, although in a different style, highlighting the crisp red fruit and spicy characteristics in the wine.  Valpolicella Superiore are becoming one of my favourite wines year-round.

Looking for an alternative to Chardonnay, why not try a delicious and textured Collio Bianco, from Italy’s Collio DOC.  A couple hour drive east from Verona you’ll arrive in Collio DOC on the border of Italy and Slovenia. It’s here where they produce some of the finest white wines in the world, certainly in Italy, and their Collio Bianco white blend is a fantastic wine to enjoy year-round, including Thanksgiving.  Very limited quantities make it to LCBO (we’re working on that), so stock up when you see it. 

Collio DOC also produces red wines like the Collio DOC Merlot I’m showing today from Borgo Conventi.   This is another great expression of a refreshing red wine from northern Italy that will complement a wide range of Thanksgiving dishes, including hearty dishes, thereby enhancing the fruit and old-world charm found in those wines.

If someone is looking for a big and juicy red, California is often a great choice for their ripe and robust, smooth and creamy red blends which pair great with the aromatic and flavourful spices and sauces on a traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner with all the sides and sauces.

Before we get to my short list of top recommended wines, here are a few of my wine-tips to help ensure you have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration.

Start with a Welcome Drink: Greet your guests with a glass of sparkling wine to set the mood as they arrive.  There’s nothing quite as welcoming as that! Cava is a great high quality and value-priced alternative to Champagne.

Offer a Variety: Provide a selection of wines to cater to different preferences. I find offering at least one red and one white wine is a great gesture and often enough variety to please. 

Pair with the Main Course: When pairing wine with the turkey, consider both white and red options. An elegant Chardonnay or Pinot Noir can be excellent choices, but as we note below the sauces play a big part and can make your pairings super fun.

Pair with Sauces and the Sides: Consider the flavors of your sauces (gravy, cranberry, etc.), and side dishes when selecting wines. For example, a buttery Chardonnay complements mashed potatoes, while an off-dry Riesling will complement that tangy cranberry sauce. 

Don’t Forget Dessert: If you’re serving traditional Thanksgiving desserts like pumpkin pie or apple crisp, pair them with a sweet wine like a late-harvest Ontario Riesling, Ice-Cider from Quebec, perhaps a French Sauternes, or a Tawny Port.

Encourage Sharing and Experimenting: enable your guests to sample different wine pairings throughout the meal by serving wines in smaller glasses or offering tasting flights. This is a fun discovery style of wine and food pairing and more often than not you’ll be surprised at just how well even the most bizarre pairings actually are!

Stay Hydrated: Alongside wine, provide still and sparkling water to keep guests hydrated throughout the meal.  It’s wise to have one glass of water for every glass of wine.  As a host, keep those water bottles filled and consider topping up your guests’ glasses regularly throuhougt the evening.

Ask for Expert Advice: If you’re uncertain about wine pairings, consult with a knowledgeable product consultant at LCBO’s Vintages and they’ll gladly help find a wine meeting your preferences to complement your menu.

By combining these tips for hosting Thanksgiving with thoughtful wine pairings, you can create a memorable and enjoyable holiday gathering for your guests.

Here are Matt’s top recommended wines for enjoying this Thanksgiving:

  1. Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Cava (Spain) – $17.95

The prime feature of Brut Reserva Segura Viudas is its elegant and persistent mousse. The aromas are of
white fruits, citrus and tropical fruits, and light floral notes. The palate is exquisite, complex and full of
flavour, with good acidity and notes of lime and pineapple. It is dry and long on the finish. A terrific wine to toast any occasion.

  1. Martin’s Lane Simes Vineyard Riesling (Okanagan, BC) – $65

Martin’s Lane Winery employs a minimal intervention approach in the winemaking process, allowing the grapes to speak for themselves. They utilize traditional winemaking techniques and innovative technologies to create wines that are both elegant and powerful, showcasing the delicate nuances and depth of flavor achievable in wines from the Okanagan Valley.

The combination of their exceptional vineyard sites, meticulous viticultural practices, and the expertise of their winemaking team has resulted in wines that consistently receive critical acclaim and impress wine enthusiasts worldwide.

Simes is a cooler, steep, north-facing vineyard in East Kelowna. Its granite-based soils sit just a few kilometres south of the 50°N mark. The northern aspect adds a rare distinction to this site that remains cool even as climate change is warming up the west coast. It is the perfect home for the small amount of Riesling that joins a vineyard predominately planted to pinot noir. The Riesling fruit (Alsace clone 49) was hand picked using selective passes through the block on October 6. At the winery, it is meticulously hand sorted at the top of the six level, five movement winery. The juice is cold macerated for 24-48 hours, followed by stainless steel and ceramic fermentation that lasts one to two weeks before it ages on its lees for a minimum of six months. The ageing is in a mix of stainless steel and 1200L German foudres. The result is a knockout lemon-led Riesling that, in the end, is bone dry, sporting a hum of electricity and minerality that speaks to East Kelowna riesling dusted in Okanagan desert scrub.

Cloudsley Chardonnay (Niagara, ON) – $34.95

Cloudsley Cellars is a boutique winery located in the prestigious Twenty Mile Bench sub-appellation of the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario, Canada. This family-owned winery is known for its exceptional small-lot Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines, which highlight the unique characteristics of the region. Cloudsley Cellars takes a hands-on approach to winemaking, focusing on quality over quantity. Their small-lot production allows for meticulous attention to detail and the ability to showcase the distinct expression of each vineyard block.

Their Chardonnay wines from the Twenty Mile Bench exhibit a harmonious balance of ripe fruit, vibrant acidity, and subtle oak integration. These wines display the classic characteristics of cool-climate Chardonnay, with elegant flavors and a refreshing, crisp finish.

Their Twenty Mile Bench Chardonnay, happens to be their only non-single vineyard offering, and it’s absolutely delightful! Wow! So harmonious, flavourful, intriguing. Medium-full bodied with refreshing yellow apple, almond croissant, tropical fruit, and sweet banana chip flavours…oak influence adding some further aromatic, flavour, and textural complexity. It’s a love-at-first-sip wine you’ll fall in love with, well if you’re like me you will . Tasted October 2023. 93 points. Matt Steeves – www.quercusvino.ca

Hidden Bench Pinot Noir (Niagara, ON) – $37.95

100% Pinot Noir. Perfumed and fragrant, with bright raspberry, plush strawberry and pretty floral notes, then on to a textured palate of flinty, stony mineral, light spice, violet, small red berry fruit, crunchy blackberry and subtle, fine grained tannins. Score – 95. (Decanter World Wine Awards, 2023)

Tommasi Rafaèl Valpolicella Classico Superiore (Italy) – $19.95

This fourth-generation family estate founded in 1902 now owns 105ha in the Valpolicella Classico zone. The grapes for Rafaèl – Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara – are grown in the 6ha, pergola-trained single vineyard on Monte Masua hill which was the first to be bought by the company. Maturation is in 65hl Slavonian oak casks for a total of 15 months. Michael Garner: Fragrant, peppery nose of hedgerow fruits and aromatic herbs. Balanced palate with a clean, dry, lightly peppery finish. Michelle Cherutti-Kowal MW: Fresh red berries with herbal notes, zesty acidity and good fruit concentration. Nice typicity and finish. Michaela Morris: Vanilla with sweet wood spice, clove and cinnamon. Palate shows some firmness, but nicely framing the concentrated, polished fruit. Drinking window: 2022-2025. Score – 95. (decanter.com, April 22, 2022)

Tom Gore Farmer’s Red Blend (California) – $19.95

Tom Gore – second-generation grape farmer from Sonoma County. From the time he learned to walk, he was stomping alongside his dad, getting dirty and taking care of grapes. For Tom Gore, farming isn’t a profession, it’s a way of life. A lifetime in the vineyards taught Gore that great wine really started with the grapes themselves. As Tom puts it, “Much like a chef needs outstanding ingredients to let a dish shine, a winemaker needs high-quality grapes to make a very good wine.”

Tom Gore Vineyards are renowned for producing approachable, flavorful, and great value single varietal wines with all the characteristics wine enthusiasts expect in delicious California wines. Farmer’s (red) Blend is Tom Gore Vineyard’s newest release that brings multiple varietals into one blend adding additional complexity, texture, and harmony to their much loved style of wine. A blend of mostly Petite Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, and Teroldego, with a small percentage other reds, from different vintages too, bring a complex aromatic and flavour profile with refreshing raspberry, blackberry, bay leaf, and graphite minerality on the nose and palate. Very expressive, with a velvety smooth texture, it’s showing beautifully now, no need cellar – it’s ready to enjoy tonight with a wide range of dishes from steak frites to tacos. Exceptional value, a great house wine option if you love California reds! Tasted September 2023. 90+ points. Matt Steeves – www.quercusvino.ca

Borgo Conventi Merlot (Collio, Italy) – $24.95

Collio DOC is a relatively small yet geographically diverse region, with the majestic Julian Alps (and Austria) to the north and the Adriatic Sea to the south. Driving around you’ll find yourself crisscrossing the region’s shared border with Slovenia, adding an intriguing cross-cultural element which is evident when visiting and speaking with different generations as they share their tales from the region’s complex 20th century history. If you’re not familiar with this region, take note as they produce some of the most complex and sought after white wines in Italy making them difficult to source given the high demand and relatively low production. Their red wines, although even more limited in quantity and availability, are so refreshing and delicious too. For these reasons this is why Collio DOC might be the best wine region you’ve yet to discover. Also a fantastic choice when selecting a wine for Thanksgiving.

Borgo Conventi’s Merlot is ruby red in color with violet tinges. The nose displays vibrant and concentrated aromas of violet, wild berry, cherry and plum, followed by light elegant hints of vanilla, coffee and bitter chocolate. In the mouth, soft velvety tannins integrate with the elegant and well-structured body. Excellent lingering aftertaste.

I encourage you to check out these wines this Thanksgiving and throughout the Autumn. I’m sure you and those you enjoy them with will enjoy them!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cheers!

Matt