"Forget the stopwatch and the stress. Thanksgiving is a long, delicious stretch, more like a slow dance than a sprint. With the right bottles on hand, you can glide from appetizers to the aftermath with a glass that keeps every moment bright and buoyant. By the time guests start rolling in, the kitchen crew is deep in the trenches still. For a crowd-pleasing welcome without any fuss, reach for a palate priming sparkler - think Cava, Prosecco, Lambrusco and beyond."
"When it comes to the holidays, Champagne might seem like the default pick, but for "big family events, I like to do something a bit more value-oriented," says George Day-Toles, the beverage and education manager at Verve Wine in Chicago. Crémant, a category of French sparkling wines made using the same traditional method as Champagne but outside the Champagne region, is a classic go-to, he says. It's "essentially like baby Champagne," Day-Toles explains, the perfect sip "to get your palate going.""
"Pour this: Val de Mer NV French Sparkling Non Dosé, $24 This year, Day-Toles has already set aside a bottle of Val de Mer sparkling wine produced by Patrick Piuze, the Burgundy negociant. While not labeled Crémant, it's 100% Chardonnay sourced just miles from Chablis and vinified in the same Champagne method. It's brut nature, so it's nice and dry, making it an ideal aperitif wine, he says."
Thanksgiving benefits from relaxed, versatile wine choices that move easily from appetizers through the meal. Start with palate-priming sparklers such as Cava, Prosecco, Lambrusco, or Crémant for a crowd-pleasing, value-oriented aperitif. Crémant provides Champagne's traditional method at lower cost. Val de Mer NV (100% Chardonnay, brut nature) exemplifies a dry, aperitif-ready sparkler. For the main course, precise pairings are less critical than flexibility; choose bright, juicy wines that handle sweet, savory, and briny elements. Focus on unoaked whites with texture—fuller Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio, smoky Greco di Tufo and Falanghina, or dry, fruity Riesling—to accommodate varied Thanksgiving flavors.
Read at Bon Appetit
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