Vernaccia and Turkey

[onlywilliamsburg]

I am a complete wine novice who has tasted just enough to be dangerous, and this is my question:

I absolutely love Vernaccia di San Gimignano. I've been invited to a friend's house for Thanksgiving dinner, and I'd really like them to try this underappreciated wine, but I fear that Vernaccia will not match well with turkey (everything I've read suggests either fish or cream sauces). Would taking Vernaccia for turkey dinner be completely out of the realm of tastebud appropriateness?

Thanks,

E

[Innkeeper]

Hi E, and welcome to the Wine Board. If you are into Vernaccia you are further down the wine road than most. It will work with Thanksgiving if the following conditions are met. 1. It must by one of the fruitier Vernaccias. 2. It must not have any oak in it. If you find one meeting these requirements, go with it!

[Auburnwine]

I wonder about a general rule of wine selection for food. True, I am floating on cold medicine, but there may be a modest insight at work here.

The wine at Thanksgiving might have the same characteristics as the food components that we know and love.

Many of us would tend toward wines that represent the fruity/crisp role played by a cranberry relish or fruit salsa. Some folks might choose butter or toasted bread.

[Innkeeper]

Correcto! This is a very good reason for having more than one bottle (kind) of wine on the table. Yes the fruit in the wine is meant to handle the fruit on the table. The lack of oak is to avoid problems with as Roberto put it in his newsletter "the culinary depth charges in Granny's secret stuffing, including cumin, sage, coriander, thyme, raisins, nuts, and oysters." These he says will bring out the astingency in oak. In addition to the Vernaccia, I would put a bottle of Valipolicella (to stay Italian) or one of the fruitier Riojos on the table. Roberto recommended these, lighter Chiantis, and Vino Novello for reds, and Arneis, Tocai, Pinot Bianco, and the less herbal renditions of Sauvignon Blanc. In most cases he was also staying away from acid too, exceptions being Chianti and Sauvignon.

[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 11-24-2003).]

[onlywilliamsburg]

Thank you, Innkeeper, for your thoughtful reply and the validation of my taste in wines. I have much to learn still, and I'll never be a wine expert, that's for sure.

Oak-free vernaccia it shall be.

Thanks to others who replied as well.