Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate family, cook all day, eat all day and of course drink some wine! We managed to do that this year, with only a small gathering. There were only four of us, but no one was driving anywhere so we managed to get into a few different bottles. Here’s what was on our table this year.
2013 Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling – at about $8 a bottle this is a great go to white. Crisp and clean and very
refreshing it worked well with appetizers of vegetarian crab cakes and spicy grilled shrimp. Good value wine.
2012 Villa Jolland Brachetto – red and bubbly, this is just fun and tasty. Alex loves this, so he opened it early and it went fast. Light in alcohol and easy drinking. About $10.
2010 Casey Flat Ranch Estate Red – this was on the counter during the many hours of alternatively cooking and eating. It found its way into our glasses for a sip numerous times. We’ve
reviewed it before,and it is one of our favorite red wines. There might actually be a little left you can buy out there. About $30 – $35 retail.
2001 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 – this was the star of the holiday, and accompanied our turkey, stuffing, ravioli in sage butter sauce, squash, etc, etc, etc. The core of this wine is 
still a beautiful cherry red, with amber at the edges. The nose is refined, with tobacco, leather, tar and a touch of butterscotch framing the red fruits. The palate is smooth and velvety, still holding a bit of acid and tannin that keep it fresh. There was a hint of rasberry and strawberry at the back end. It is very complex, totally delicious, medium bodied and long. If you like classic Rioja this is for you. It’s in the $50 – $60 range. It’s worth it in our opinion. If you weigh Robert Parker’s opinion in your wine buying decisions he gave it a 96.
Family, good food and good wine. That’s what it’s all about.
Happy holidays!
A votre santé!
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