Wednesday, November 22, 2017

9 Reasons to Drink Rosé for Thanksgiving


Everyone gets alllll excited about light and "drinkable" red wines for Thanksgiving, but honestly, I'm not buying it.  I'm still stuck on rosé.  Maybe it's all the warm weather or maybe it's escapism, I'm not quite sure, but I do know that I will be serving the pink stuff Thanksgiving and I'm not sorry about it.

Rosé pairs beautifully with all different types of food: sweet, salty, savory, and I'm coming to the conclusion that rosé just might be the perfect wine to serve for a fall feast.  In fact, while researching for this story, I realized that most rosé has recommended pairings of chicken and turkey.  Coincidence?  I think not.


The more I think about it, the more I think this will be a great idea - rosé is wonderful to drink during the day (while cooking), during cocktail hour (paired with cheeses and veggie appetizers), and during dinner (paired with turkey and a hedonistic mix of sweet and savory foods).  AND, if you're drinking rosé all day/night, there is no worry of red wine teeth cursing your family photos forever...

Have I convinced you yet?  Good. 

In that case, let me get started on my 9 reasons to drink rosé this Thanksgiving:


1/ Gérard Bertrand Cuvee Thomas Jefferson Crémant de Limoux Brut Rose 2014, France - $17
70% Chardonnay, 15% Chenin, 15% Pinot Noir

Start your evening off with bubbles, because every holiday should start with bubbles.  In fact, bubbly wine is believed to have originated in Limoux, France, an especially cool area where exceptional sparkling wines are made.  Today's version of the Gérard Bertrand sparkling rosé has a bright salmon color with bright flavors of freshly baked berry tart.


2/ Jaillance Cremant de Bordeaux Rosé, France - $16
100% Merlot

Continue with bubbles and pop a bottle or two of Jalliance Cremant de Bordeaux Rosé, a delightful wine that pairs well with savory meats such as turkey or duck.  This wine is vinified using the Methode Traditionelle, meaning that it goes through a secondary fermentation in the bottle, giving it more complexity and layers of flavor.  The wine has a beautiful salmon color and flavors of strawberry, red currant, and spice with nicely balanced acidity.


3/ SAVED Magic Maker Rosé 2016, California - $20
Pinot Noir, Grenache, Cabernet Franc, Orange Muscat, Sangiovese

Sometimes you can judge a bottle by its label, and the SAVED wines are just as tasty as they are design savvy.  The SAVED Magic Maker Rosé is a Provence style wine (read, light pink and bone dry) and is made from fruit sourced from the Santa Maria Valley to Monterey.  This gorgeous rosé has flavors of white peach, tangerine, strawberry, and green apple, and pairs well with everything from vegetable-forward side dishes to dessert.  


4/  Château Tassin Bordeaux Rosé 2016, France - $10
100% Merlot

Chateau Tassin is located in an old medieval town, Rions, based on the Latin word Riucium, or "built on rock", a beautiful estate that overlooks the Garonne River.  This rosé has a bright salmon color, is bright and dry with flavors of plum, ripe citrus, cherry, and strawberry jam.  This is a great wine to sip while cooking all the way through the savory meat dishes that Thanksgiving has to offer.

5/ La Moulinière Bordeaux Rosé 2016, France - $12
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon

La Moulinière rose is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, and produces pale pink colored wine that is light yet fruity wine.  This rosé has aromas of white flowers, red berries, and mint, with crisp flavors of ripe red fruits and a touch of spice.



6/  Muga Rioja Rosado 2016, Spain - $15
60% Garnacha, 30% Viura, 10% Tempranillo

If you follow me on social media (if you don't, you should) you already know that I am obsessed with Muga Rosado.  It might be my favorite rosé of all, and has set the standard for all rosé in my life:  dry, salty, and bright and citrusy with flavors of stone fruits, grapefruit, and bright minerality.  I plan to drink a lot of it for Thanksgiving this year, and so should you.


7/ Meiomi Rosé, California - $21
Pinot Noir

Meiomi Rosé is made from grapes sourced from Monterey County, Santa Barbara County and Sonoma County, and is a rich and fruity wine that pairs perfectly with Turkey & Chicken.  The wine is dry with a well-balanced acidity, with flavors of watermelon, orange peel, stone fruits, and light minerality.


8/ Sterling Vintner's Collection Rose 2016, California - $14
Syrah & Tempranillo

Sterling Winery makes some pretty delicious wines, and their rosé is an especially lovely fruit-forward wine that begs to be served with flavorful, rich poultry dishes (read, turkey with a side of mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce).  On the nose it has aromas of strawberries and rhubarb, with flavors of cherry, strawberry pie, pink grapefruit, and orange blossom.


9/ Guigal Côtes du Rhône Rosé 2016, France - $14
Southern Rhone Red Blend

Guigal Côtes du Rhône Rosé is a wonderful pairing for Thanksgiving as its dominant flavors are cranberry and red currant.  Which means, you can have a bite of turkey, a bite of mashed potatoes, a sip of wine, and basically have Thanksgiving in your mouth in one bite.  Could there be anything better?  I think not.  












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