By Bob

November 23, 2005 1:56 PM | Link to this

Mark, thanks for the brining instructions. I have always enjoyed old Bordeaux with roast turkey or chicken for that matter, though it isn’t the best with all the side dishes. My simple solution is to take a bite of the turkey before the sip of wine. Few wines are going to have much synergy with the rest of the items anyway. I do like and good Burgundy with the turkey also. You and Kim have made it sound like the right thing to do. I imagine that we will do one of each.. after all we have all day to finish them up. I will think of you there in the church basement while we enjoy our wine. There are times when family is most important. It sounds like you managed to have the best of both worlds. Happy Thanksgiving.

By mark

November 23, 2005 8:10 AM | Link to this

Cathy: Bring a gallon or two (depending on the size of the bird) of water to a boil. For each gallon of water you have in the pot, add one generous cup of sea salt or some other non-iodine salt, a half-cup of packed brown sugar, and a handful of black peppercorns — a quarter cup or less. Optionally, you can add several sprigs of fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme) or a few dashes of dried cayenne pepper. Boil for 15-20 minutes (the mixture will turn an ugly brown color). Let the mixture cool, remove herbs, then find a large cooler into which the Turkey will fit. Throw some ice into cooler (enough to barely cover the bottom), then the bird, then pour in the brining mixture, submersing the turkey in the liquid. More ice on top. Keep the cooler in the garage or someplace cold, and use ice packs or bags of ice to make sure the bird is nice and cold. Brine turkey for 10-15 hours, remove and rinse inside and out, pat dry. If you like crispy skin, put the turkey into the fridge uncovered for a few hours to let the skin dry out before cooking. Stuff a quartered onion, a few fresh sage leaves and a stick of butter into the cavity, place the turkey in a large roasting pan (I do breast-side-down for moister white meat), preheat oven to 450 degrees, cook 30 to 45 minutes on the high temp, then reduce heat to 325 and cook 15 to 20 minutes per pound. The brining not only results in a remarkably moist and tender meat (it will not be as salty as you think it would be), but makes wonderful gravy as well. (Don’t add salt to the gravy until you taste first). Cheers! Mark Fisher

By STEPHEN HILL

November 23, 2005 5:58 AM | Link to this

Thanks for more good advice. Trader Joe’s here in Palm Desert, California was swamped with wine buyers. This time, I knew what to buy!

By Paul

November 23, 2005 1:12 AM | Link to this

I prefer red wines with turkey, and prefer turkey for Thanksgiving. So it should be no surprise that I prefer red wines for Thanksgiving. Unless you have something real spicy, I would personally would avoid Zins, Syrahs and big California and Australian cabs. For my palate, these wines have too-dominant flavors for turkey dinners. On the other hand, if your favorite wine is a Zin, Syrah or big Cab, go for it! I’m a firm believer that folks should drink what they like. To my taste, turkey dinner with all the trappings requires a somewhat soft wine with enough complexity to add to the meal rather than being dominated by the meal. So a good quality Morey-St. Denis, Vougeot or similar Burgundy suits my Thanksgiving perfectly. Particularly if it has aged 5 to 10 to soften the youthful fruit and tannins. (More aging is not a problem as long as the wine is still in good shape. I used to drink ‘62 and ‘66 Burgundies with Thanksgiving dinner in the late 80s and early 90s, and they were wonderful — both as wines and as complements to the dinner.) Bordeaux and Rhone wines can also be nice, but typically being bigger and more powerful, require appropriately more aging—something not everyone has available. I’ve often wondered how a Sauternes or Beerenauslese would work with pumpkin pie or key-lime pie, but have never actually tried these combinations. If anyone has, I’d love to hear comments.

By cathy

November 22, 2005 11:58 PM | Link to this

Scott: As for an affordable & approchable Riesling, I really like the Claiborne & Churchill Dry Riesling. Now, I’d like to wish a very Happy Thanksgiving to our Uncorked creator (yeah,you, Mark)! Thanks for your educational and entertaining blog! …Ummm, BTW, do you have a favorite brine recipe? The one I have uses a full bottle of Bourbon. :-)

By Mark

November 22, 2005 7:42 PM | Link to this

First, I want you to look way, way up to the top of the comments to Kim Kocher’s post about what he’ll be having for Thanksgiving dinner. He mentions the 1999 Simon Bize Savigny les Beaune Aux Vergelesses as his “drink of choice” with dinner this coming Thursday. Well, Kim is my good friend and wine mentor from Fremont, Ohio, and we had lunch together in Bowling Green on Monday while my oldest son was checking out Bowling Green State University. (I highly recommend Sam B’s as a lunch or dinner spot if you’re ever in BG, by the way). Anyway, I took Kim’s suggestion to heart, and on Tuesday night, after brining and roasting a Dorothy Lane Market fresh turkey (brining is THE way to go, lemme tellya), I was inspired by Kim to pull out a very similar wine to drink with my two-days-early turkey dinner: the 1999 Vincent Girardin Savigny-Les-Beaune 1er Cru “Les Lavieres.” (we travel to the in-laws on Thanksgiving Day and eat dinner with 50 people in the basement of a Methodist church in Perry County, Ohio. It’s not a wine-friendly atmosphere). Anyway, the Girardin red Burgundy went beautifully with the turkey — and with my wife’s gravy, nectar of the Gods, consumed by the spoonful after everybody else left the table. A dark, rich Burgundy redolent of black cherries and just enough spice to make it interesting. I am stuffed beyond belief. I feel like the Michelin man. And the wine STILL tastes quite fine. I am, above all, THANKFUL. For many things, too many to list here. So … Cheers, and Happy Thanksgiving! Mark Fisher

By mark

November 22, 2005 5:30 PM | Link to this

Scott: I like the reader’s suggesetion of the Bonny Doon Pacific Rim Riesling better than what I was going to suggest, which was the Chateau Ste. Michelle or Columbia Crest, both from Washington state, I believe. If you want to pump it up a notch on the riesling, go with a Leitz Dragonstone from Germany. Delicious stuff, for about $15.99. For your chardonnay, I might go with a Chateau Souverain, which I think is in the $15 price range. Anybody else have a chard suggestion? Mark Fisher

By Llyn

November 22, 2005 5:15 PM | Link to this

For the gentleman who wanted a good reisling recommendation. Try Bonny Doon Pacific Rim Dry Reisling.

By cathy

November 22, 2005 4:37 PM | Link to this

It seems like just a few days ago, someone mentioned Beaujolais as a good Thanksgiving wine. Me, I like my Burgundies for reds. Alsace makes perfect white wines - Pinot Blanc, for one. Jens’ idea of a Sparkling Shiraz sounds intriguing.

By Amy

November 22, 2005 4:37 PM | Link to this

If you want some great advice on what wines to serve at Thanksgiving Dinner, go to Grapes of Ruth, in Springboro, OH. Every year the owner, Ruth, has a Thanksgiving tasting, where she features 10 or more wines that are perfect for any Thanksgiving dinner. The event this year was Nov. 12, but I am sure she still has some of the wines that were featured,or other great wines to pair with your feast!

By Megan H.

November 22, 2005 1:12 PM | Link to this

Last year I brought a lovely sauvignon blanc that I thought was light, tart and refreshing (and quite delish) with everything from stuffed mushrooms to cranberries to the all important bird. Yet, the overwhelming favorite for the rest of the crowd was a homemade (not by me, thankfully) pear wine which was extremely sweet and fruitty. To each their own, I suppose!

By jens

November 22, 2005 12:37 PM | Link to this

I just had this conversation last night with another wine retailer. There are too many foods and variations to match one wine. On the other hand unless you are a wine geek, don’t turn the event into a wine tasting with six wines. I think Gruner Veltliner works for the white, and if you have to have Chardonnay, make it one from Burgundy with less wood and more minerals. I think Rose is great for Thanksgiving as it can match with many different foods and is great for lunch. As for reds, I would suggest a Grenache, a Pinot Noir, a Chianti, or to kick it off how about a Sparkling Shiraz! jens at cincinnati wine garage

By Scott Elliott

November 22, 2005 12:29 PM | Link to this

Mark (or anyone else), Can you recommend an affordable but tasty reisling and good, even if it’s a little more costly, chardonnay (Mom likes chardonnay) that I could pick up at Arrow Wine in Kettering?

By kim kocher

November 22, 2005 11:46 AM | Link to this

I usually serve two wines with the traditional Thanksgiving. Keep in mind, while everyone at our table drinks wine, no one else cellars or buys much wine. The big hit is always the German Spatlese. The past several years it’s been a Rheinhessen Neirsteiner from Strub. Available in my neck of the woods for $15/liter. With the run of great German vintages , the wines have been consistently well balanced and paired with the food nicely. That said….I drink the 1999 Simon Bize Savigny les Beaune Aux Vergelesses.