Thanksgiving is a time for coming together, celebrating abundance, and sharing a meal full of comforting flavors. The variety on the table—from roasted turkey to tart cranberry sauce, rich casseroles, and buttery sides—can make wine pairing feel overwhelming. But choosing the right bottles doesn’t have to be complicated. With a little thought, you can select wines that enhance the food and the mood, making your holiday gathering even more special.
At first glance, New Zealand’s wine offerings might seem fairly limited, particularly dominated by the Sauvignon Blanc varietal. Despite producing just about 1% of the world’s wine, New Zealand has made an iconic impact with names like "Kim Crawford" and "Cloudy Bay." Sauvignon Blanc has become synonymous with New Zealand, much as Malbec has with Argentina, leaving France to say, “But it was here first!”
The Wild White, better known as Sauvignon Blanc, is one of the most widely planted grapes around the globe, having acreage in almost every wine region in the world because of its wide range of flavors, depending on the terroir. The grape is related to Traminer, and originates in the south of France. Depending on the environment in which the grapes are grown, and on how ripe the grapes are at harvest, the flavor profile can range from fruits of lime, green apple, and passion fruit, to white peach. What makes Sauvignon Blanc unique from other white wines are the complimentary herbaceous flavors like bell pepper, jalapeño, gooseberry, and grass. These characteristics come from aromatic compounds called pyrazines, and the secret to its signature style.
The California Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Workbook is a fairly comprehensive, self-analyzing approach, for vineyards to measure their “level of sustainability and to learn about ways they can improve their practices.” To receive the full certification, wineries would have to submit to a 3rd party inspection. Although there are specific chapters designated for both vineyard water management and energy efficiency, these two concepts are woven through the rest of the workbook.
With the back-to-school season upon us, this is a good time to go back to “wine” school and get down to basics; to go back to the root of your wine enthusiasm. Whether you drink wine for sport or edification, it always enriches the experience to get down to the roots. Going back to basics is always a good exercise, to not only enhance your experience, but to refresh the mind and awaken your palate to new experiences.
