Tomorrow is the big Turkey Day!  My honey ham is ready in the fridge.  This is definitely not my favorite meal, but I do enjoy the ability to overeat and not be overly judged.  I also have lots of wine ready to enjoy as well.  My reds this year will be more traditional pairing reds like Pinot Noir and Gamay (even though I don't like Gamay), but my whites will be more untraditional with Sauvignon Blanc and Albarino as my choices.

As I mentioned last week, the traditional red for Thanksgiving dinner is Pinot Noir.  White is slightly less straightforward.  One classic pairing is Gewürztraminer.  This is an off dry slightly spicy white, typically from Alsace France.  A combination of the inability to pronounce it and the atypical flavor profile make it less popular.  The safest way to go for white is Chardonnay.  I know there are so many people who are anti-chard, but it really is a good pairing for the meal.  I would, however, avoid the really big buttery oaky Chardonnay and go for either a White Burgundy or a more elegant style California Chardonnay.

One that I want to highlight this week is the 2019 Bien Nacido Estate Chardonnay from Santa Maria Valley.  This is an amazing California Chardonnay that is not overly oaky.  It has gotten huge scores from multiple critics, 94-points from both Advocate and Enthusiast and 93-points from Dunnuck.  Not bad for a wine coming in at only $35! 

Here is what Advocate has to say about this wine, "The 2019 Chardonnay Estate comes from own-rooted vines planted in 1973. It was barrel fermented and matured for 12 months in oak and six months in stainless. It's scented of golden apples, dried hay and roasted almonds, and the palate has expansive, honeyed fruits with gently tangy acidity and glossy spices from its 40% to 45% new oak, finishing long and energetic."

It is probably too late to get this for your dinner tomorrow, but definitely worth having for your next dinner, maybe Christmas?!  Whether you are drinking red or white or even a rose (which is also a great pairing), I hope you are drinking lots of delicious wine with whatever is on your table tomorrow! (P.S. since I used to have Chinese a lot as my Thanksgiving dinner, the Gewürztraminer was always my favorite pairing).

Bien Nacido Estate Chardonnay Santa Maria Valley 2019

-Patrick Mulrooney