So, what special bottles are being opened this Thanksgiving?

[dananne]

What's everyone having this year? We're heading to Tennessee to visit Anne's family and are planning to bring some wine with us, but as of now we're undecided. Also, best wishes to all for a happy and safe holiday!

[Innkeeper]

We will open any Zin at the restaurant we are taking our gang (total 15) to. Beats cooking for them!

[Glass_A_Day]

2002 Cougar Crest Shiraz
2000 Viader Shiraz
2001 Darioush Chard

[winoweenie]

Looking at some Zins and Marlbourough SB. Happy turkey Youse Turkeys!. WW [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/wink.gif[/img]

[californiagirl]

I have a very diverse crowd where I'm going. So, on that note... Loring Clos Pepe, Sterling Merlot, and Cline Pinot Gris/Chardonnay blend. All for different people. They're not much into food & wine pairings.

I debated on bringing a good Zin with me also.

[zenda2]

Zin, Gewurtz & Brouilly.

[This message has been edited by zenda2 (edited 11-24-2004).]

[Kcwhippet]

We're down to four for dinner (from a max of 32 only four years ago). So, it'll be nice and comfortable. Most likely we'll go with a Loring or Siduri - don't know which one yet.

[Innkeeper]

Well we took our crew of fifteen to the Chowder House in East Belfast, overlooking Belfast Harbor. They were including Bloody Marys this year along with non-alcoholic beverages with the buffet. So we only had my two glasses of Dancing Bull and a White Zin for one daughter to pay extra for. The whole deal with tax and 15% tip (it was a buffet) came to $245. Not bad. Later we are popping a bottle of GDB Nouveau Beaujolais that favorite s-i-l brought up. Cheers.

[Kcwhippet]

Well, we had turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, mashed turnip, brocolli, asparagus, shoepeg corn, carrots and cranberry sauce. For topping, we made turkey gravy, hollandaise sauce and cheese sauce. Followed by choice of blueberry, pumpkin or strawberry/rhubarb pie. All this for four people (can you say leftovers?). Oh yeah - had the 03 LWC Garys' with.

[winoweenie]

Put the Tur-Duc-Hen in the oven at 7 and waited for CB to arise. At 9 I popped a botlle of Glenoras' 99 Brut. " Breakfast of Champions ". Side dishes were mashed yams with butter, cinnamon, a dash of Ginger and walnuts, snow peas with shitake mushrooms and a bottle of 97 Ridge Geyserville Zin. My grandson fixed a killer dish of cranberries, gravenstein apples, brown sugar and allspice that sang. Key Lime pie was dessert. The day ended on a bottle of Ridge 97 Paso Robles. A fat happy weener signing off. WW

[Bucko]

Roast turkey juicy as can be (brined)
Cornbread dressing
Giblet gravy
Candied yams
Cranberry relish (wonderful recipe)
Geen bean casserole (not made with soup mix -- gasp)
Crescent rolls from scratch
Pumpkin pie from scratch (no canned pumpkin)

A couple of bottles of 1997 Ken Wright Pinot rounded it out.

[thewoodman]

Navarro Reisling
Navarro Gewurz grape jucie for the kids
Rosenblum Richard Sauret Zin

An apple-honey brined capon on the weber kettle, a cajun injected turkey over applewood in the smoker. Good food, good friends, good wine.

[californiagirl]

We had a nice Thanksgiving day. Dinner was good, kids were good, and wine was great!

I must say... it's interesting being one that enjoys food and good wine with my husband's family. I brought over a "can" of Cougar Gold cheese from WSU. Most called it a school experiment- jokingly. After thy tried it, the adults felt it was too strong... but my kids loved it! I thoroughly enjoyed it with Loring Clos Pepe. My hubby's aunt & uncle, P&J, loved the cheese and the wine.

Didn't take any notes on the wine- but I'd say it is exactly my kind of Pinot. Nice and fruity with no mushrooms, (earthiness)!

[Georgie]

I tried brining the turkey this year and was very pleased with the result. Then I rotated it as it cooked..back up, then one side up, then the other, then, finally, the breast up. Best turkey I ever cooked! Then all the usual fare, mashed potatoes, candied yams, fresh green beans, brussels sprouts, homemade cranberry relish, celery stuffed with cream cheese and olives, a new cornbread stuffing that was a big hit, and regulr bread stuffing. And I must say I made some Kick-*** gravy this year! Oh... wine? Sister dear and I enjoyed a bottle of Dutchman's Breeches, one of Gene's wines from Knapp, and a bottle of Ram's Leap zin( I think that's what it was) that one of the guests brought.

[wondersofwine]

Like IK I had GDB Beaujolais Nouveau (not as impressive as the Drouhin Beaujolais Nouveau I had a couple years ago). We didn't do a joint Thanksgiving meal at church this year so I had no excuse to open other wines. Last time I contributed a Trimbach Gewurztraminer and possibly a Cru Beaujolais.
(I still don't really see Zinfandel as a Thanksgiving wine). Next year I'll go for a better Beaujolais or a Pinot Noir (and maybe Riesling or Gewurztraminer as the white wine).

[dananne]

Back from Tennessee and back to the grind.

We had more of a Halloween o' Horrors with the wines, though. We brought several PN, none of which tasted up to snuff. Think the travel may have affected them in a negative way. The best of the lot was a K2 from Keegan Cellars. Behind it were rather pedestrian efforts from Estancia and Cambria. Went to the wine store up in Tenn to replenish. Do not try the Hazyblur Grenache from Australia. Just awful. The worst wine I've had in years, and it wasn't because of a bad bottle -- just bad winemaking. The '00 and '01 Guigal Cotes du Rhone were tasty and saved Friday. The best wine from the long weekend was a '00 Beckmen Vineyards Estate Syrah from Santa Ynez Valley. Great varietal character, wonderful texture, and a fantastic, loooooooooong finish.

Glad to hear everyone had a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Bucko -- how were the Ken Wrights? I've got a few bottles stored away -- an '01 Guadalupe and a '02 Nysa. Can't wait to try 'em.

A last note -- we bought several TN wines to try -- I'll be posting on them over the next week or so for those of you who like to try more obscure local stuff. Included are some odd ones, from a Chambourcin to some stuff you wouldn't expect from TN (a Sangiovese and a Nebbiolo/Barbera blend).