Thanksgiving Wine: The Good, The Sad, and the Ehhhhhhh

It’s always important after a party or dinner to take measure of what worked well and what didn’t. So here’s what worked well for me at Thanksgiving with my family last week.

The Sad: The Heart & Hands 2015 Pinot Noir I had been hanging on to was badly oxidized when I opened it. Very disappointing. Mom and I tried a couple sips, but it was just no good. Oh well.

The Ehhhhhh: Luckily I had brought another red with me, William Heritage’s 2018 Chambourcin. This had a lot of purple fruit and a touch of effervescence on the end. Not bad, and it went over fine.

The Wow!: Scored a real touchdown with my aunt C. with the Fox Run 2017 Hanging Delta Riesling! She isn’t a wine drinker at all, and she made a point of stopping the conversation at the table to tell me how much she liked it. That’s a major accomplishment! And I sent the leftover bottle home with my parents, who also enjoyed it.

The Worked as Designed: The Fox Run 2019 Dry Riesling was everything I wanted with my dinner. Clean and bright, with a little bit of pear and apple on the palate. It complemented my aunt’s delicious turkey (one of her best!), her fluffy mashed potatoes, and scrumptious bread stuffing perfectly. A quintessential Finger Lakes riesling.

The Bonus Pleasant Surprise: My wine-loving cousin and his equally oenophilic wife brought Frei Brothers Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. My favorite of the river valleys! And the only one I’ve ever ridden a bicycle alongside. While it was a little bolder than I like for a red for the Thanksgiving meal, it’s a yummy wine, and I’d definitely use it for coq au vin. Some of it might actually make it into the pot.

The Saving it for A Different Audience: While looking at the various rieslings that just arrived, I realized the Silvan Riesling is barrel fermented and on the lees! (How did I not spot that on the website?!) I never get barrel fermented riesling, so I decided to save it for a time when I can really focus on and enjoy it. And write about it for all you lovely people.

Overall, I count this as a big success in both anticipating the needs of my target audience and deliciousness. I’ll be keeping the Fox Run off-dry wines in my pocket for future holidays.

Anything work particularly well for you? Let me know!