Here are the wines that go best with your favorite Thanksgiving dishes

by Mary Earl

“What will your holidays will look like this year? A scaled-down version of family traditions? A total revamp of who’s cooking and what goes on the table?

The indoor family feast, elbow to elbow at the dining table, should not be the thing this year. But do celebrate and be thankful for what we have and what we can give.

So let’s make our small bubble marvelous with fancy decorations, a tasty but subdued menu and, of course, special wines or beers or ciders to make the celebration memorable.

When it comes to Thanksgiving’s contrasting fare, I prefer the shotgun approach. With so many different flavors on one plate, selecting a wine, beer or cider to partner up with all those flavors is a breeze following this methodology.

With several delicious beverages and as many glasses surrounding your plate, try each with the turkey, dressing, cranberries, green bean casserole and sweet potatoes. Which do you prefer with the turkey? Which pairs better with the sweet potatoes?

Sparkling wine is the ultimate for all celebrations. They’re impressive, festive and, as an added bonus, they pair well to most any dish. The crisp effervescence is perfect with fried turkey and assorted appetizers from baked brie to crab claws drenched in lemon butter or seafood sauce.

From the AVAs of Dundee Hills and Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon’s Argyle Winery produces dozens of sparkling wines. They have been at this since 1987 when Texan Rollin Soles, a ‘grower first’ kind of winemaker popped onto the scene. If you haven’t had these wines, this would be the perfect time to start. They are world-class.”