FYI/FYE Can't-fail guide to Thanksgiving wines Jon BonnéChronicle Wine Editor Friday, November 21, 2008 Choosing the right wine to pair with your turkey and fixi... This is a year for doing without the frivolous stuff. So for Thanksgiving, we thought we'd abandon the usual wine-writer blather about how Thanksgiving is (a) a time to let wine shine, since the food is understated, or (b) a time to drink whatever, since the food is understated (and you'll need the drink). The mountain of utterly contradictory wine advice to match turkey and trimmings grows higher every year. We can't make sense of it, and really, you've heard it all before. Besides, Thanksgiving may come late this year, but have you checked the calendar? Six days, mister. You're looking for answers. Clarity is of the essence. We went back and combed our many Wine section recommendations over the years, sorting through our own confused advice. (White Zinfandel, perfect turkey elixir or rotgut? Discuss.) It's enough to drive you to chocolate milk. And chocolate milk does not go well with turkey. Here's our pocket guide to Thanksgiving wine matching. Bring it to the wine shop. Pair with confidence. We've previously recommended many of these types, so be sure to revisit our Chronicle Wine Selections at sfgate.com/wine. (OK, we couldn't resist a few picks for good Beaujolais, which remains a near-perfect option.) Otherwise, time's a wasting. If anyone asks for advice, the answer is "Pinot Noir." Turkey The quick take: The key is to find wines that are fruity, softer, bright and less tannic. So the hands-down winner - if you've read a Thanksgiving wine story before, you're already mouthing the answer - is Pinot Noir. Also: Beaujolais, or other wines made from the Gamay Noir grape. With too much oak, Merlot can be overwhelming, but plusher ones can offer red fruit and pleasant tea aromas that cut through the bird's richness. Or go the other way - look for more robust wines with age on them that highlight the savory notes in the gravy and meat. Skip aged Burgundies here; they need something more subtle. Try older Cabernet, or perhaps a good aged Bordeaux or Brunello. White wine works, too, though you'll want to highlight the buttery flavors (and don't skimp on gravy): more opulent Chardonnay; richly textured aromatic whites, like Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Riesling from Alsace, Austria or cooler areas like Mendocino's Anderson Valley; or densely textured Rhone whites made from blends of grapes like Roussanne. Stuffing The quick take: Your choice should go with the turkey, too. The butter and bread that form the typical base lend themselves to rich (but balanced) Chardonnay. Beyond that, what else is in the recipe? Fruit, especially berries, matches Pinot Noir, though apples might call for a dry Riesling or Gewurztraminer. Mushrooms? Pinot or Beaujolais. Bacon or sausage call for a slightly more robust red, perhaps a leaner Syrah or a Beaujolais. Oysters and shellfish kick you back to white, perhaps one with more mineral presence, like a white Rhone or Burgundy. Some oak on the whites is fine, given the toasty, nutty flavors. Sweet potatoes The quick take: If these are what you live for, think a bit sweet - a bit. Off-dry Gewurztraminer or Riesling can work - especially if they have high acidity to balance. The more cinnamon or other brown spices you use, the more Gewurz will work. Or tone down the sugar and let it go with the usual reds. Marshmallow? Just say no. Green vegetables The quick take: The temptation is to go with a leaner, more herbaceous white. But often they're too lean for the rest of the plate (and the season). Many of the dry aromatic whites will work - not just the Alsatian-style wines but also more obscure varietals like Sylvaner and Kerner. Or try Austrian Gruner Veltliner and dry Riesling. Cranberry sauce The quick take: The fruitier the wine, the better. Enjoy it in small helpings or, as we know, it will impart its flavor to everything on the plate. See the choices for turkey. Squash soup The quick take: Go for a dense, powerful white without much oak influence. Intense dry Smaragd Rieslings from Austria's Wachau are a great match for their opulence and cutting minerality, as are their weightier counterparts from around the world. (Look for alcohol above 13 percent; here the ripeness translates as richer mouthfeel.) A similar effect comes from white Rhone-style wines and aromatic wines like Pinot Blanc or Gewurztraminer. Pie The quick take: Fashionable as it is to match a sweet wine with Thanksgiving baked goods in all their sugary density, it's overkill. Serve coffee. Save the sweet wines for later, including Sauternes or Tokaji (if there's dried fruit or nuts in the cornucopia), or Port and Madeira if you want to deepen the post-meal food coma. Leftovers The quick take: Buy extra sparkling wine and keep the festivities going all weekend. Or crack open a beer. You deserve one. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/21/WIDA1468EH.DTL This article appeared on page F - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *