Wine

Wines To Pair with Thanksgiving Leftovers #SundaySupper

Posted by Martin D. Redmond on November 18, 2012November 18, 2012

I was excited when I saw this week’s #SundaySupper theme – “What to do with Thanksgiving Leftovers“. The theme provides a perfect opportunity to broach the perennial, and all to often fraught with anxiety, topic of which wines to pair with the Thanksgiving meal. For you see, many of today’s Thanksgiving leftovers are a prime example of the challenge Thanksgiving presents. It’s not the Turkey, which is the centerpiece of the meal, it’s the diversity of food and the corresponding tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and unami ) presented by the sides, sauces, desserts, etc. Not to mention the diversity of preferences among those gathered around your table.

My recommendations for seizing this wonderful opportunity 😉 are twofold. First, select food friendly wines, and secondly depending on how many folks are gathered around your table, have a wide assortment of wines from sparkling wines to whites, rosés, and reds.

Wines To Pair With Thanksgiving Leftovers #SundaySupper — Thanksgiving Leftovers – Image courtesy of news.blogs.cnn.com

The other reason I’ve been looking forward to this week is more personal. My signature dish for Thanksgiving is a Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake with Brown Sugar and Bourbon Cream. It’s seriously good cheesecake that my family loves. But every year I have leftover pumpkin puree I swear I’m going to use after Thanksgiving, but inevitably end up finding in the back of the fridge sometime in January! Not only that, one can only eat so many Turkey sandwiches! So I’m looking forward to the inspiring and creative recipes the #SundaySupper put on the Family table this week!

Check out this week’s lineup and my corresponding recommended wine pairings.

Breakfast & Brunch

Sparkling wines are underrated as food pairing partners, but for my money they offer the most breadth in terms of pairing. They can work not only as an aperitif, but throughout the meal through to dessert. Pair these items with Lucien Albrecht Cremant d’Alsace Brut Rosé. It’s a sparkling rosé from Alsace, France with a soft, fruity strawberry, raspberry and a hint of citrus peel character that will be a good match for the sweet character of these delicious breads. Go ahead, slather butter on them, the bubbles will cleanse your palate and get you ready for the next bite!

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls by Juanita’s Cocina
Turkey Cranberry Muffins by In the Kitchen with Audrey
Sweet Potato Biscuits by Home Cooking Memories

Main Course

Pair these dishes with a Chardonnay. I like the 2010 Michael Pozzan “Annabella-Special Selection” Napa Valley Chardonnay because of its judicious use of oak, bold, yet balanced acid profile and tropical fruit, citrus, vanilla, and clove character. It doesn’t hurt that it was #75 on the Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Values for 2012 either!

Turkey Mornay Open-Face Sandwiches by The Weekend Gourmet
Simple and easy! Turkey a la king, fit for a queen! by Midlife Road Trip

Pair these well spiced aromatic dishes with Riesling. I love the 2011 Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen Eroica Riesling. It’s off-dry with vibrant acidity and a beautiful white peach, grapefruit and mineral character.

Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey and Andouille Gumbo for #SundaySupper by Catholic Foodie
Red Potato Turkey Cutlets with Ginger & Fresh Herbs by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
Leftover Turkey and Sausage Gumbo by My Catholic Kitchen

Pair these dishes with a white Rhone blend. What’s great about blends is that the combination of grape varietals creates vinous synergy – a wine that is greater than the sum of its parts. Look for the 2011 Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Blanc. It’s a blend of Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne. It’s a crisp and aromatic wine with honeysuckle and stone fruit aromas that follow onto the palate. It also has very good acidity and an appealing minerality that make it versatile food partner.

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie by The Wimpy Vegetarian
Kartoffelpuffer – German Potato Pancakes by MrsMamaHen

Dry rosés are not just for summer, they can also work well for Thanksgiving too. But avoid the sweet “White Zinfandel-ish pink wines! The sweetness will clash with your cranberry relish and these wines lack the palate refreshing acidity to be versatile food partners. One of my favorites is the 2011 Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigar, a tasty blend of Grenache, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Mourvèdre that is chock full of strawberry, stone fruit, watermelon, and citrus flavors.

Turkey and Cranberry Monte Cristo by Supper for a Steal
Thanksgiving hangover sandwich by Crispy Bits & Burt Ends
The Ultimate Thanksgiving Leftovers Sandwich by Daily Dish Recipes
Thanksgiving Turkey Banh Mi Sandwich by 30AEats
Skillet Turkey Reuben by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Turkey & Cranberry Panini with Tarragon Aioli by The Messy Baker Blog

Pair these dishes with Pinot Noir – a classic Thanksgiving recommendation because it’s fruity, low tannin high acidity nature. On top of that, many Pinot have a cranberry, herbal, and baking spice character that complement, not only the turkey, but the timings too. Look for the 2011 Hahn Winery California Pinot Noir. It has wonderful mixed berry, lavender, and spice aromatics, that follow onto the palate.

Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole by FamilyFoodie
Thanksgiving Leftovers Pot Pie by I Run For Wine
Turkey and Stuffing Pasty by Small Wallet Big Appetite
Turkey Vegetable Hash by Generation Y Foodie
Turkey Tetrazzini by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Leftover Mashed Potatoes and Beef Croquettes by Pippis in the Kitchen Again
Turkey and Mushroom Risotto by Comfy Cuisine

Pair these dishes with 2010 Ridge Vineyards “Three Valleys” Sonoma Zinfandel Blend. It’s a blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Grenache, Alicante Bouchet, and a significant dose of old-vine Carignane that adds depth and acidity to this tasty blend. It’s well-balanced has a bright red berry fruit, herbal and spice character.

Turkey Enchiladas by Webicurean
Turkey Tamale Pie by Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
Hawaiian BBQ Turkey Flatbread Pizza by Damn Delicious
# glutenfree Turkey Shepard’s Cake by Cooking Underwriter
Turkey shepards pie! by The Realistic Nutritionist

Soups, Salads, Sides & Starters

Pair these with a Brut sparkling wine, which is the most food friendly style of sparkling wine. One of my favorites is Mumm Brut Prestige. It shows biscuit, sweet citrus, red fruit and subtle floral aromas. and cherry , vanilla and citrus flavors with a creamy mouthfeel.

Leftover Turkey Soup by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
Mashed Potatoes Twice Baked by Hezzi-D’s Books & Cooks
Olive Tapenade by Fast Food to Fresh Food

Pair these with the Lucien Albrecht Cremant d’Alsace Brut Rosé.

Moroccan Chicken Salad with Rice by My Trial’s in the Kitchen
Sweet Potato Bread Pudding by MarocMama

Pair these dishes with a Sauvignon Blanc. I recommend the 2010 Leese-Fitch Sauvignon Blanc. It’s dry, crisp and clean, with citrus, flower and mineral flavors.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Shallots and Pancetta by Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
Potato Patties w/ Tomato Salsa by La Cocina De Leslie

Pair these with 2011 Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen Eroica Riesling.

Curried Turkey Salad by Kimchi Mom
Spicy Coconut Turkey Soup by Diabetic Foodie

Pair this dish with 2011 Hahn Winery California Pinot Noir

Gluten Free Turkey and Dumplings by The Meltaways

Pair this dish with 2010 Ridge Vineyards “Three Valleys” Sonoma Zinfandel Blend

Cranberry Barbecue Stuffed Sweet Potatoes by Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Sweets & Desserts

Pair this dessert with a Sauternes, a sweet white wine from France. Look for the 2009 Chateau Doisy-Vedrines Sauternes. It’s a rich and layered, with good acidity and a complex honeyed citrus, floral, white peach, fig and persimmon character. And if you happen to have any leftover apple pie or fruit based desserts…Yum!

Cranberry Sauce Crumb Bars by girlichef

Pair these desserts with an Oloroso Sherry, a rich dense style of sherry. I recommend the Sandeman Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Rich Old Oloroso Royal Corregidor. This one is redolent of caramel, butterscotch and fig, with notes of pear, orange and raisins, and a long sensual finish. And should you happen to have any leftover pumpkin, sweet potato, or pecan pie…O…M…G!

Pumpkin Gingersnap Truffles by Chocolate Moosey
Sweet Potato Spice Cake with Pecan Streusel Topping by Shockingly Delicious
Chocolate Peanut Butter Potato Frosting by Yummy Smells

*Clink* – Here’s to you and your loved ones. Remember that Thanksgiving is, most of all, a time to be thankful – for family, friends, and life’s many pleasures, including great food and wines. Happy holidays!

Please join on us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper on November 18. In the evening we will meet at 7pm EST for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat.

All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat.

We’d also love to feature your recipe for Thanksgiving Leftovers on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board to share them with all of our followers, too.

Related posts you might enjoy: