Thanksgiving is right around the corner and that usually means a delicious dinner to celebrate the harvest season. Here are classic wine suggestions to pair with your turkey dinner, with a proud focus is on our excellent Ontario wines. I’ve included a couple of fabulous dessert wines, too, because no holiday meal is complete without a special dessert, and Ontario makes exceptionally fine Icewine and late harvest wines that will enhance your dinner menu.
Pinot Noir is beautifully versatile when it comes to food and it makes an ideal match for a turkey dinner. The fruit flavours work well with cranberry sauce and also balance the rich gravy, while the spicy notes complement the stuffing, and the chocolate notes pair up nicely with pumpkin pie. Ontario makes great Pinot Noir wines and elegant G. Marquis Silver Line is a fine example. Full disclosure: Pinot Noir is my all-time favourite grape varietal and this one, from Ontario, illustrates why. You’ll find fragrances and layered flavours of tart dark berries, flowers, damp earth, savoury olive and dark chocolate. The structure and acidity are finely balanced, making it a very versatile wine for food.
Extra Dry • 13% • LCBO VINTAGES# 258673 • $19.95 – $17.95 — if you grab it before Oct. 12th
For dinner guests who prefer a white wine with their turkey, a buttery-rich Chardonnay is a great option. The vanilla flavours work well with the rich turkey and gravy, and the citrus note will complement cranberry and fruit sauces.
A definite crowd pleaser! This flavourful Chardonnay is crafted from hand-picked Niagara grapes, fermented using indigenous yeasts from the vineyard and matured in barrels made from Ontario oak. Ripe and rich, this fruit-forward Chard has tree fruit and vanilla aromas. It shows lovely apple and pear flavours with hints of maple on a creamy palate that is balanced by crisp acidity. It will pair well with either pumpkin or apple pie, too.
Dry • 13% • Vintages LCBO# 149302 • $24.95
There’s bound to be dessert at the end of the holiday meal. These Ontario wines can be dessert in a glass by themselves, to be sipped slowly, or they can pair beautifully with a variety of sweet dishes, including pumpkin pie.
As the name suggests, the grapes for this wine were harvested late in the season, when they have a higher sugar content. Aromas of ripe pear, the characteristic Riesling wet slate aspect, and a lovely hint of lavender greet your nose. Flavours of ripe peach and apricot enhance these notes and blossom on the rich palate. Excellent acidity keeps the sweetness in balance, and a lingering finish will keep you smiling.
Sweet • 12.5% • LCBO VINTAGES# 415901 • $29.95 • 375 mls
Ontario Icewine is a triumph in winemaking and is internationally famous. Ontario is the only location world-wide that can produce Icewine every year, due to its very cold winter temperatures. Icewine, different from the late harvest wine above, is made from hand-picked frozen grapes that can only be harvested after several nights when the temperature is several degrees below zero. These frozen grapes have a higher sugar content and produce the luscious Icewine that is so coveted. Take one sip and taste why it is so special! You’ll find rich and satiny notes of dried apricot, peach, tangerine, spice and honey in your glass. This is a “put your feet up and savour it” kind of wine, which pairs well with a contented full tummy.
Sweet • 11% • VINTAGES# 390351 • $19.95 • 200 mls
Happy Thanksgiving!
For more wine and food discovery from Jane Staples, visit www.bellovinoj.com
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