Bring on the mashed taters, turkey, cranberry sauce and antacids! It is coming faster than you think!
Turkey Day means mindlessly gorging ourselves until our eyes roll back in our heads, yes. But that doesn’t mean we’d serve any old wine to our beloved friends and family. In Paso Robles Wine Country, we can afford to be picky. With a nuanced swath of whites, reds and rose wines at our fingertips, we tend to cover all the bases. Why not? This year, more is more. Pair your Thanksgiving Day feast like a Paso Robles local with these five tips. Remember, you can never have enough wine when the whole gang is invited!
1. Grab a Crowd Pleaser
Sure, your sister might love an inky petite sirah, but that’s not everyone’s bag (and that’s OK). For a blissful Turkey Day grub-down, you’ll want to have a few universally appealing wines on hand. Keep the flavor profile fruit forward, with softer tannins and a balanced bouquet. These are bottles you know will go over like gangbusters with all kinds of tastebuds.Cass Winery’s 2018 Oasis Rose fits the bill perfectly with pleasant spiced peach and candied watermelon in the mouth and a floral whimsy on the nose.
For quick, easy mapping and directions to Cass Winery including a one click to hail UBER or Lyft click here
2. Serve a Cleansing White
There’s a lot of butter happening on the big day. Cut all that rich fat with a bright acid-driven white and your guests will be looking toward their next bite with gusto. Too much creaminess in the food and the wine can add a heaviness to the meal, so this is the time to turn to more cleansing whites (don’t go for that super old school chardonnay). Instead, try Rails Nap 2017 Picpoul Blanc, which is enjoyed for its crip acidity, minerality, melon and lime with just a touch of apple blossom and citrus rind. Bring on the gravy boat!
For quick, easy mapping and directions to Rails Nap including a one click to hail UBER or Lyft click here
3. Try a Lighter Red
Delicate turkey and mild ham tend to get bogged down by heavier reds like merlot, cabernet sauvignon and syrah. Coax the nuance out of that juicy, well-spiced meat without overpowering the sweet potatoes with something a tad less robust in the glass. A good rule of thumb: keep your wine on the lighter side of the spectrum (save those luxuriously dark reds for prime rib, steak or roast lamb—you’ll thank us later). Thanksgiving fare calls out for a brighter red, like Hope Family Wines 2016 Grenache, which wows with a rush of cherry and blueberry flavor, yet features refined tannins.
For quick, easy mapping and directions to Hope Family Wines including a one click to hail UBER or Lyft click here
4. Toast to a Dessert Wine
You only live once—share the pure sweetness of the season with your most beloved friends and family. Why wait to break out the fancy sweet stuff? In Paso Robles we are guilty of serving up a dozen pies—and more than one killer dessert wine—to end the meal with a bang. How to build the perfect climax of decadent sugar, spice and togetherness? Try Brecon Estate’s 2015 Late Harvest Zinfandel, which is so much more than simply “on the sweet side.” In fact, this half bottle is packed with white and black pepper, a whole lot of spice, and fantastic jamminess.
For quick, easy mapping and directions to Brecon including a one click to hail UBER or Lyft click here
5. Keep it Chill
Don’t forget to properly chill your wines before the dinner table is set! To get the night off to a festive start, we suggest a celebratory sparkling wine, like Allegretto Vineyard and Wines Non Vintage White Blend. No one can pass up a glass of Paso Robles bubbly (and what could pair better with the cheese and charcuterie plate that just made the rounds?). Chill for 1 hour in the fridge—just don’t over do it; you want to maintain the nuances of the flavor. Somewhere between 45 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit is optimum for sparkling wines (set the bottle on the table a few minutes prior to popping that cork. Everyone will gather round to ooh and ahh).
For quick, easy mapping and directions to Allegretto including a one click to hail UBER or Lyft click here
This blog is written by flavor fiend Hayley Cain. Follow her @flavorslo on Instagram or at astoldbyhayley.com.
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