Devenish Thansksgiving Wine Cheat Sheet

We woke up this morning to the aftermath of the election and....Gasp, Thanksgiving is just two weeks away!  This is going to be intense.  So to help you all out with wine choices we've pulled together a small cheat sheet of what we're planning on drinking for Thanksgiving.  Hope it helps!

Arbor Brook Pinot Gris 2011 Croft Vineyard Approximately $15

Oregon Pinot Gris is a very different beast from its Italian cousins and this from Arbor Brook is a great example. There's expressive ripe fruit that has tones of pineapple, ripe pear, and apple. It also has some nice minerality that wakes your palate up and makes it’s rich texture more vibrant.  All the wines ripe fruit and rich texture are a great fit for the gustatory feast aspect of Thanksgiving.  Available at Local in Brunswick, Rosemont on Brighton, Downeast Beverage, and Rising Tide in Damariscotta

Joseph Cattin Pinot Blanc 2011 Approximately $14

Lively Alsatian Pinot Blanc is an old favorite for Thanksgiving wine; the Joseph Cattin with it’s complexity and balance is a great value. Aromas of white flowers and green apple fruit are first, but there's also a tasty stony slate minerality that gives this white more focus and grip. The refreshing lively character has the underlying zip to pair well with turkey! Available at Whole Foods, the Clown in York, the Rosemont Markets, Downeast Beverage, and Treats in Wiscasset.

Domaine Terres Blanches Sparkling Cabernet Franc Approximately $20

This is the Thanksgiving wine that we're all most excited about at Devenish.  It will impress your non wine drinking cousins as well as your wine geek friends! The Terres Blanches is a fun, easy drinking, and approachable wine, but also super rare; when was the last time you ran into a sparkling red Cabernet Franc? Bright supple cherry fruit, black pepper, frothy effervescence: this wine has the right combination to work with turkey, gravy, and cranberry sauce all together. Available at the Rosemonts, Vic and Whit's in Saco, Royal River in Freeport, RSVP, Rising Tide in Damariscotta, Aurora Provisions, & the Bier Cellar.

Comelli Soffumbergo 2010 Approximately $20

The Soffumbergo is an unusual blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Refosco, and Pignolo from up in Friuli where Italy borders Slovenia. The Comelli family is a very small operation and makes less than a thousand cases of this, but oh it’s gorgeous! The Cabernet gives it depth and dark fruit, the Merlot lends a supple texture, while the Refosco contributes some bright acidity, and the Pignolo a hint of smoke and woods. The Soffumbergo has a confidant refined character to it and is just the right juicy medium weight for turkey.Available at Browne Trading, Aurora Provisions, Whole Foods, and the Rosemonts on Munjoy Hill and in Yarmouth.

Fratelli Pezzuto “Malot” Roero Nebbiolo 2008 Approximately $19

Fratelli Pezzuto is a small farm in the Roero hills of Piedmont. Nebbiolo isn't a common choice for Thanksgiving wine, but this wine is in it’s prime and a great value!  This DOCG Nebbiolo is aged in oak casks for a year and a half and then held in the bottle. It’s got all the floral rose, wood smoke, dry earth, and structure that mature Nebbiolo is famous for, but at the price of a young immature Nebbiolo di Langhe. Available at the Bier Cellar the Rosemont Markets, Browne Trading, Aurora Provisions, and Downeast Beverage.

Fiorano Sangiovese 'Fiorano' 2011 Approximately $17

The Fiorano farm is a small organic operation down in central Italy’s Marche region. A bright and fun Thanksgiving wine, the Fiorano comes from a single 3 acre vineyard and is Sangiovese in it’s most pure and vibrant form. This Sangiovese is so beautifully aromatic and bursting with energy that it’s a great antidote for a cold grey autumn day and also a perfect pair with turkey or ham. Available at the Bier Cellar, Vic and Whit's in Saco, and Browne Trading.

Illahe Pinot Noir 2010 Approximately $22

A good domestic Pinot Noir is a classic choice for Thanksgiving wine.  Illahe is a very natural winery and vineyard run by the Ford family out in Oregon’s Willamette valley. They farm totally naturally, eschewing tractors in favor of draught horses. This 2010 Pinot Noir has ripe developed cherry fruit, and some dark earth underneath, but it’s certainly not the funk that some develop. The flavors are pure and focused by its bright acidity and supple tannins. Available at Aurora Provisions, Rosemont on Munjoy Hill, Whole Foods, Treats in Wiscasset, Bow St Market, Downeast Beverage, Lily Lupin and Fern, and the Old Port Wine Merchant.

Comments

[Margot Curtis]

Comelli Soffumbergo! Oooo I want I want I want.