Thanksgiving Perfection: A Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
With the Top 9 Thanksgiving - Wine Pairing Guidelines
The Willamette Valley, in Oregon, is one of my favorite spots for tasting some the best Pinot Noir (and Chardonnay, Pinot Gris)wine in the United States. In a previous newsletter, “Willamette Valley, Oregon. It’s Not Just About Pinot Noir,” I discuss the other grape varieties grown in the Valley, but Pinot Noir is “King” here. It is a perfect Thanksgiving accompaniment to turkey as the wine holds up to the spicy flavors of side dishes and does not have overwhelming tannins which would detract from the flavors. Rosé of Pinot Noir is also wonderful wine pairing with a salad course. See my Top 9 Wine Pairing Guidelines below for further pairing tips.
Now, the annual Wine Wanderings Thanksgiving wine recommendations!
We put several Willamette Valley Pinot Noir wines to a group taste test this week. Our “best of tasting” and “best value” results are below. You will find a variety of Pinot Noir styles and prices in the recommendations. I will also suggest some favorite choices of other wine varieties to accompany various courses. Note that all wines are not available in all geographies.
Why Willamette Valley?
The midpoint of Oregon’s Willamette Valley lies at 45 degrees north latitude, the same latitude as France’s Burgundy region near Dijon. Oregon’s premier wine region, Willamette Valley, is sometimes nicknamed “The Burgundy of the West.” Both Willamette Valley and Burgundy have a terroir** that supports the growth of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes among other grapes like Pinot Gris. Both Willamette Valley and Burgundy feature beautifully structured vineyards in picturesque settings. Many differences set them aside though. Oregon’s Willamette Valley caters to a visitor’s sense of adventure, offering winery experiences and outdoor adventures you will only find in America. Burgundy exhibits majestic and historic vineyards often not necessarily linked to one winery, but famous for individual plots called “Climats” and sometimes enclosed by a stone wall called a “clos.”
As you drive through the Willamette Valley, you might be surprised by the extraordinary vista of vineyards, fruit trees, and pine trees with Mt. Hood hovering in the distance. The Willamette Valley countryside is home to some of the most celebrated wines in the world. But, up until the 1980’s, Christmas tree farms actually dominated the farmland. Today, you can enjoy the biodiversity and agricultural diversity of seeing vineyards nestled among cherry orchards, tree nuts, vegetables, hay, safflower, peppermint, white clover, strawberries, and Marionberries. For information on wineries and touring Willamette Valley, see Willamette Valley Wine.
Top 9 Wine Pairing Guidelines for a Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner
All sommeliers get the majority of wine pairing questions during the holidays. What wines do I serve with my Thanksgiving Dinner? What if I smoke my turkey? What do I serve with appetizers? I always want to give a satisfying answer, and not frustrate the hosts. Still, I usually say, “It depends.” What are you serving? How do you prepare your turkey/ham? Will it be roasted, brined, smoked, or deep-fried? Will you begin with appetizers? Will you have a salad? What are your side dishes? Will you serve a dessert wine? The Top 9 tips below should help you decide your choices.
Here are my Top 9 wine pairing suggestions for Thanksgiving. Remember, these are not hard and fast rules, just guidelines.
Tip # 1: Serve what you like to drink, not what you think you must serve.
Tip # 2: Be festive. Serve a sparkling wine as a welcoming aperitif.
Tip # 3: Match the weight of the food with the weight of the wine.
Tip # 4: Use bridge ingredients in a recipe (cheese, fruit, nuts) to make wine more compatible with vegetables, salad dressings, and spices. A Sauvignon Blanc or still rosé wine works well with lighter ingredients.
Tip # 5: Avoid heavily tannic wine with turkey and spicy casseroles. Pinot Noir is always a good choice for roasted white meats as it has lighter tannins. Dry Rosé works well, too. Keep that special Cabernet Sauvignon in the cellar/shelf, as the tannins will fight the spiciness of the food.
Tip # 6: Red Zinfandel’s flavors of plum, pepper, jammy blackberry, and tobacco can hold up to a smoked or deep-fried turkey.
Tip # 7: A Garnacha/Grenache based wine, domestic or international, works well with ham, especially those honey-based hams, or if served with cherry sauce. The raspberry, baked cherry, and spice notes are a perfect pairing.
Tip # 8: Full-bodied white wines like Chardonnay and Viognier pair well with heavier sauces, root vegetables, or cheese.
Tip # 9: Dessert wines should be sweeter than the dessert or the wine will taste flat/sour.
Happy Thanksgiving to all Wine Wanderers. Thank you, Connie, Lynn, and Linda for your tasting notes and comments.
Best of Tasting and Best Value Wines – Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Recommendations
Best of Tasting Choices:
2020 Ken Wright Cellars Bryce Vineyard Pinot Noir, $65
This wine featured savor and floral aromas with a dense complex of plum and salted caramel flavors that provided a smooth lingering finish. It was aged for 11months in 20% new French oak barrels.
2019 Soter Vineyards Estates. Willamette Valley, Pinot Noir, $54
This wine’s dark cherry, wild blueberry, brown baking spice, and leather aromas knocked me over. Soter farms to organic standards.
Wine Spectator, 94 points
2019 Sokol Blosser, Dundee Hills, Estate Pinot Noir, $45
This wine features aromas and flavors of black cherry, strawberry, and flint with savory aromas of mushroom, baking spice, and leather. This wine spent 15 months aging in 100% French oak, with 15% new French oak.
James Suckling, 91 points
2021 Ken Wright Cellars Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, $38 (AVA Series)
This wine was aged ten months in 100% French oak with 10% new French oak barrels. Aromas of blueberry, dark blackberry, and hibiscus jump out of the glass. This wine has a balanced and juicy finish.
Best of Tasting “Value” Choices Pinot Noir
2021 Evolution by Sokol Blosser, Willamette Valley, $23
This is a great Pinot Noir to serve to your group. It features bright red fruit aromas, a jamminess and dash of cherry pie taste with a hint of toasty oak on finish.
James Suckling, 92 Points for 2020
2020 Cooper Hill Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $22
This wine is made by Cooper Mountain Winery with their grapes grown with organic and biodynamic methods. This wine features black cherry and cranberry flavors and aromas.
2020 Ken Wright Cellars, Willamette Valley, $31
Red and bramble fruits with hints of cedar, rose petal, turned earth. Balanced and juicy finish.
Aged in stainless steel and neutral French oak barrels.
2018 Apolloni Pinot Noir Cuvée, Willamette Valley, $30
16 months, French oak barrels
Red fruit black Cherry, elegant tannins
Wine Enthusiast Editor’s Choice, 91 Points
2019 Bryn Mawr Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $30
Wine Enthusiast Editors’ Choice, 91 Points
This wine features medium cranberry, spice, cinnamon, anise, and sweet cherry aromas. There is a very nicely balanced finish here. This wine aged in new French oak (35%) for nine months.
2021 Illahe Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $31
This wine aged ten months in French oak and 25% of the grapes were fermented in whole cluster.
This wine features aromas and flavors of cherry, strawberry, plum, cola, black tea, and white pepper.
Some Favorite Thanksgiving Wine Choices
With the Appetizers: A Rosé Champagne (or other sparkler)
Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose, Champagne, France, $95
Always my top choice in rosé Champagne. Schedule a visit there on your next trip to France for a wonderful tasting experience.
Wine Spectator, 92 Points
Mumm Napa Brut Rosé, Napa Valley, $21
A favorite domestic sparkler.
Wine Enthusiast, 91 Points
With the Salad: Sauvignon Blanc
2020 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River, Sonoma, California, $54
My top choice domestic Sauvignon Blanc and a wonderful birthday gift. Thank you, Linda.
Wine Spectator, 94 Points
With the Main Course Turkey: A Pinot Noir! – See above 2022 Willamette Valley recommendations
With a Smoked or Deep-Fried Turkey: Red Zinfandel
2019 Ridge East Bench Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma, $33
James Suckling, 94 Points
With Dessert: A Sauternes or Malmsey Madeira
2017 Chateau Clos Haut Peyraguey Sauternes, Bordeaux, France (375ML half-bottle), $25
Wine Enthusiast, 97 Points
A perfect pairing with pumpkin, pecan, or chocolate pie.
***What is Terroir? Terroir is a French term representing the special combination of climate, soil, latitude, rain, sun, geography, elevation and aspect, and growing conditions that are unique to a vineyard or viticulture region. It evokes a “sense of place.” It only took 37 English words for me to describe terroir. That is why the French term terroir is such a useful term for winemakers, viticulturists, and wine writers! Ask yourself, does this wine express the aromas, body, and flavor of its terroir? The great ones often do. Tricia Conover, DipWSET®, CSS, AWE
Wine Wanderings Editorial Calendar
Holiday Gifts for the Wine Lover
The Best Sparkling Wines of the Holiday Season
Winter Wine and Cheese Pairing- Hosting a Tasting in Your Home
1881 Museum Napa Valley: A Transformation of the Oakville Grocery
The Restaurants of Calistoga, Napa Valley
America’s Exceptional Wine Country Adventures: States to Consider
Climate Change and Wine
Tour Tuscany like a Pro
The Heritage of Hall Winery, Napa Valley: Tour and Tasting
Wine Castles of Sonoma County
Traveling to Napa Valley: Wineries, Sports Activities, Shopping, Where to Eat, Where to Stay
North Texas Premier Wine Destinations
Meet Eden Hill, Lone Star, and Blue Ostrich
Tricia, next time you are in the Willamette, give me a jingle and let's go tasting together. Heck, I'll finally learn something about wine.
Loved this article and I’m going to try as many of your recommendations as I can this month!!