By Lorie O’Sullivan

This Thanksgiving take a sip off the beaten path…

If you are like most people, you tend to stick with wines you know at Thanksgiving. White wines like an oaky, buttery Chardonnay or an off-dry Riesling, and for red, Pinot Noir always seem to be the wine of choice. These are all excellent choices, but if you’re looking for something different, fun and want to up the ante, take a look at these offerings. These wines will have your family talking about wine instead of politics this Thanksgiving!

Whites

2008 Donatien Bahuaud Les Grands Mortiers Vouvray $15.95 – If you have an Aunt that says “I only drink Riesling” then she will fall in love with this medium dry Vouvray. The grape here is Chenin Blanc and hails from the Loire Valley. Lovely balance of apple, pear and spice and will match well with Grandma’s turkey stuffing.

2009 Prà Soave Classico $17.95. Looking for something a bit drier in style, then look no further than this mineral rich soave. Made primarily from the Garganega grape, this wine will be a great match with turkey and root vegetables.

Reds

2008 Weingut Meinhard Forstreiter (“Zvy-Gelt “), $12.95 – When you think of Thanksgiving you think of savoury food and this savoury wine from Austria is a perfect match that shows notes of cherry and strawberry. Please pass the turkey and cranberry sauce!

2009 Chàteau De Bellevue Morgon $19.95, For something a little bit fuller bodied on the palate, this 100% Gamay will be sure to please. This wine is very food friendly and will also stand up nicely with roast beef.

Looking for something to pair with Grandma’s apple and pumpkin pie? Try one of these two dessert wines:

2008 Pomme de Glace Original Cider from Quebec, $23.95. You will be a hit at family dinner with this amazing sweet cider with hints of cinnamon and clove. Just bring on the apple pie and vanilla ice cream.

2006 Royal Tokaji 5 Puttonyos Tokaji Aszú, $19.95, This dessert wine is great on its own or pair it up with pumpkin pie and a nice dollop of whip cream. Would also be great with after dinner cheese board with a variety of semi-firm cheeses like Manchego, 1608, and Lancashire.


Based in Toronto, Canada, Lorie is the Sommelier in Toca restaurant, located in the Toronto’s Ritz Carlton Hotel. She is also a rotating Sommelier at the HSBC Wine Lounge, located in the Rogers Centre in Toronto and develops award-winning wine lists for restaurants like The Lakeview in Toronto.  Lorie’s personal blog can be found at lorieloveswine.com