An Italian Wine Spin on Thanksgiving!

• Posted on 12 November 2019
• Posted in Italian Wine, Thanksgiving Wine, Wine in Frederisksburg VA
• 0

This time of year, there are many articles written about what wines to pair with your Thanksgiving meal. To add an interesting international spin to your Thanksgiving table, City Vino is taking you across the globe to Italy. Italy is the home to many different wine regions, and many indigenous grapes, and its wines vary greatly in grapes and styles. Here are some recommendations for 2019 Thanksgiving:

For a nice aperitif or pre-meal toast, try the Ca del Doge Prosecco Extra Dry. Prosecco is made from the Glera grape, via the tank method, where the second fermentation occurs in a pressurized tank, rather than in individual bottles like Champagne, Crémant and Cava. Making the wine in this method helps to keep the price affordable. Prosecco usually exhibits bright fruit and floral aromas, due to the Glera grape, and the wine has lighter, more frothy bubbles than other sparkling wines, due to being fermented in tank. The Ca del Doge is dry with notes of orchard fruits, like apple and pear, along with a hint of lemon zest.

For your holiday white wine drinkers, our first white wine suggestion is the 2018 Cavaliere Vernaccia Di San Gimignano. This wine hails from Tuscany, and is made from the Vernaccia grape. This wine is bright, crisp with lovely floral aromas, and a hint of minerality with a slight almond finish.

Another choice for a white wine for your holiday table is the 2017 Prà Soave Classico Otto. This wine is from the Veneto region of Italy, and is made from the Gargenga grape. This is another great wine to drink alongside a cheese-and-charcuterie board, and would also pair nicely with vegetable side dishes.

Red wine drinkers don’t despair. There are red wines that can sit on the table astride the white meat turkey and all the sides. One red wine option is the 2016 Fazio Gabal Nero d'Avola. Nero d’Avola is the most important red grape from the island of Sicily, and ranks high on the list of important indigenous varieties in all of Italy. The wine has delicate notes of blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and cherries, and is velvety on the palate. This wine pairs well with savory meat dishes and bacon, so drink this one with those brussel sprouts cooked with bacon, or that corn bread stuffing made with sausage.

And our final red wine is the 2016 Dievole Chianti Superiore Le Due Arbie. This wine is from the Chianti Classico region in Tuscany, and is made from 80 percent Sangiovese and 20 percent Merlot. It has aromas of ripe red cherries, with a hint of dried violets. This wine would pair well with olives on a relish tray or antipasto plate, but should also stand up with a roasted turkey with a rich gravy, as well as herbaceous side dishes, like stuffing.

Finally, for a wine to pair along with dessert, we suggest 2018 Lodali Moscato D'Asti, which is from the Piedmont region of Italy, and made from the Moscato grape. The wine is sweet and lightly bubbly, with fresh peach and floral aromas. This wine would be lovely when paired with a slice of homemade apple pie, or some fresh berries and cream.

This coming Saturday, November 16, 2019, we will be tasting the four still wines discussed above. Come try the wines and see if there is a place for them at your Thanksgiving table. As always, let us know if we can help with your holiday wine selection. Cheers.