World Wine Weblog

Thanksgiving Food and Wine Pairing: Turkey and Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Two years ago, I'd shared the recommendation that in pairing food and wine on thanksgiving, drink what you like. I still believe in that philosophy, but in posting an entry on this year's Thanksgiving meal on my primary blog, in which I elaborated on our refinements in brining and grilling a turkey, I also noted a trend in pairing Chateauneuf-du-Papes with turkey over the years.

The photo on the left is of the Rhone wines we had with turkey last year - the 1998 Patrick Le Sec Chateauneuf du Pape "Aurore", the 1998 Domaine de Villeneuve "Ville Vignes" and the 1999 Chateau St. Cosme Gigondas - the photo on the right is of the two we had with turkey this year - the 1998 Domaine de Villeneuve Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Ville Vignes" (again) and the 2000 Domaine de la Janasse Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Chaupin". Of all of these, the Janasse is my favorite (in general, and with the turkey).

I believe most, if not all, of these are based predominantly on the Grenache grape, and so, as I noted in my main blog post, I may experiment with some single varietal Grenache next year, and perhaps a bit of Cinsault (Chateau Ste. Michelle offered their first single varietal bottlings of each grape this past year, and both sold out very quickly to Wine Club members).

I decided to repost this information here, as this is the forum in which I like to log my most interesting experiences with food and wine pairing ... and Chateauneuf-du-Pape may not be an obvious choice for most people looking for wines to pair with turkey.

A Hard Core Wine Tasting Experience at Lavanda

I met my friend Jane for an after-work drink at Lavanda Restaurant and Wine Bar in downtown Palo Alto last week. Jane is one of my favorite people -- even though she still hasn't responded to my invitation to join the self-disclosure movement on her blog -- and it's always fun to get together with her. Both of us love wine, and neither of us had visited Lavanda yet, so it seemed like a natural choice.

We were delighted to discover that there was a special wine tasting / release party that evening, with winemaker Dave Corey (shown below left) of Core Wine Company offering a lineup of his most recently released wines:

• 2004 Red 163 (14% Mourvedre, 56% Grenache, 30% Syrah),
  
• 2004 Elevation Sensation (another GSM blend, but with grapes more predominantly from his own vineyard)
  
• 2004 Hard Core (Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet)
  
• 2004 Soft Core (Grenache Blanc, Rousanne and Marsanne) -- actually, I can't remember now if that really is the name of the wine, or the name he wanted to use.
  

All of these wines were great -- representing the deeper and fuller end of the Grenache [Blanc] spectrum (and thus, more appealing to me than the lighter variations of the varietal). The Hard Core was the standout for me, where the little bit of cab really added a significant amount of power to the blend. Jane liked the Elevation Sensation best (that was my second favorite). Dave also has a predominantly Mourvedre blend and a Tempranillo. I want to track down some of these at a wine shop (and soon, as I think they are selling out).

Jane had to leave, but I didn't have dinner yet, and a pasta dish with Sardines looked very appetizing (and the kind of thing I would never cook at home), so I stayed on, and enjoyed a glass of the Turchi Syrah -- which was not included in the initial 3-glass tasting flight -- to accompany that. The meal was also accompanied by very interesting and engaging discussion with Matt Kahn (shown above right), a Professor of Design in the Art School at Stanford, who offered his views on art and design, and described some of his wine-related travels. He also highly recommended the Klinker Brick Zinfandel, so I'll have to go back there sometime ... perhaps when Jane and Matt can both be there, so the three of us can enjoy some fine wine and conversation together.

New Vintages of McCrea Wines at Seattle Wine Company

I sampled several of the latest releases from McCrea Cellars at the Seatte Wine Company yesterday.  As I noted earlier, McCrea is one of my favorite Washington wineries, consistently producing outstanding Rhone varietals.  There was a great selection being offered for tasting, incluging two 2004 whites -- Viognier ($19) and Rousanne ($19) -- five 2003 reds -- Grenache ($25), Counoise ($25), Mourvedre ($25), the Washington State Syrah ($25) and the Sirocco blend ($28) -- and the 2002 Late Harvest Viognier.  This was my first time trying the Rousanne and Grenache, and I found them and the others to be up to the same high level of quality I remember from the last vintage.  All of them are fruit-forward, full-throttled wines ... the kind I like best.  The Mourvedre was my favorite, followed closely by the Sirocco and Grenache.  This was my first visit to the Seattle Wine Company (which does not yet have a web site), but I am now on their mailing list and look forward to future tastings there.

2003 Red Flyer: Wine-label-centered Sociality

Another great value from Trader Joe's ($6 per bottle), Red Flyer is an inky-dark wine, with medium to full body, and a lot of spice.  The bottle label is pretty catchy, and the overall marketing quotient is pretty high throughout (with a sci-fi / Star Wars theme and a subtle, perhaps unintended, reference to a wagon many of us may remember from childhood).  I'm especially drawn to the intention expressed on the label that the bottle itself is intended as a conversation piece, a variation on the theme of object-centered sociality I blogged about on my main blog yesterday.  Unlike many other wines with a significant marketing emphasis (Marilyn Merlot comes to mind), this one is a pretty good value.  I plan to pick up some more to see if it has the intended [conversational] effect when served to a larger group.

Name: Red Flyer Wine
Home Planet Coordinates: California, U.S., Earth
Fruit Harvested from Original Life Source: Fall, 2003
Top Secret Vinifera Composition: Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache, Carignane
Laboratory Data: Acid, pH, Alcohol
Prepared for Colonization in Small Wooden Containment Devices for 11 Months
12-Bottle Units Created for Human Consumption: 15,000
Monetary Output: $8.99
Invasion Begins: March 15, 2005

Red Flyer represents an emerging new genre of wines that I am referring to as "entertainment wines." These wines offer exceptional value and serve as the centerpiece of any dining experience. The fanciful themed label was designed to replicate old sci-fi movie posters, specifically "War of the Worlds" and is meant to spark conversation, bring a smile to the face and laughter to the heart.

This secret blend of Syrah, Mouvedre, Grenache, Carignan, and Clone X is blended in the tradition of the French Rhone wines. Clone X, the secret ingredient, was smuggled from outer space in the hyperbolic chamber of one of the forward thinking grays.

[Update, 15-May-2005: This wine is produced by Hahn Estates.]

[Update, 25-June-2005: The secret ingredient is Durif, aka Petite Sirah.]