7 Aromatic White Wines For Thanksgiving
Thanks to Icon Rock and Bolla for providing me free bottles of wine to sample in exchange for a fair and honest review for aromatic white wines for Thanksgiving. When…

Thanks to Icon Rock and Bolla for providing me free bottles of wine to sample in exchange for a fair and honest review for aromatic white wines for Thanksgiving.
When it comes to Thanksgiving food, all rules are thrown out the window. The flavors you will find on the table are all over the board making it hard to find the perfect wine. I like to open several bottles so I have options. For Wine Wednesday, here are 6 aromatic white wines for Thanksgiving.
We will tackle the reds next week.
White wines tend to go well with turkey and a lot of the side dishes. Pour a glass of the lighter styles as a welcome and build from there. Many of these have great acid to cut through some of the fattier dishes. The fruit found in them is often good with salty dishes and if it's a hot day, many are quite refreshing.
Aromatic White Wines For Thanksgiving From Italy
Pinot Grigio is a good way to start a meal. It is typically on the light side but there are some that might surprise you with their complexity. Look for ones from Alto Adige for more depth. Otherwise this one from Bolla is a good value and easy to find.

This is a lovely pinot grigio with aromas of peach and pear. It has tropical flavors like pineapple. It's a nice aperitif, good with mild cheeses too. It's easy to find and affordable at $11.99
Italian whites in general, are good food wines. Try Gavi. It is a region not a grape. This wine is made from cortese grapes. Gavi tends to be dry, minerally and good with food in general, specifically vegetables and cheeses.

Rive De La Rosa Gavi is from the hills of Piedmont, Italy. It smells floral and has lots of minerality. The wine is a combination of flavors like vibrant citrus, pear and spice. Perfect for matching Thanksgiving foods. $19
More Aromatic White Wines For Thanksgiving
Sauvignon Blanc is a good wine with salads and seafood. Keep in mind the ones from California tend to have more rounded fruit. Those from New Zealand and Australia tend to be more acidic. Those from France are a little more subtle generally speaking.

Icon Rock Sauvignon Blanc feels like sunshine. From New Zealand, it smells like tropical fruits, passion fruit. On the palate it has lots of pink grapefruit, is balanced; nice and fresh. $23
Chardonnay can be a wildcard when it comes to white wines for Thanksgiving and typically not my first choice. The ones that are big, buttery, and oaky can compete with rather than compliment many of the heavy dishes on a typical buffet.
Last week I had lunch with the owner of Tamber Bey in Calistoga, California and his chardonnay was beautiful. All of his wines were. The chardonnay is made without any oak but it still has great body and richness.

In this photo, Tamber Bey Sauvignon Blanc is the forefront and it is a gorgeous wine. But behind it you will see the Sans Chene Chardonnay that is a showstopper. It is elegant and crisp with pear and lemon curd. $45
White Wines For Thanksgiving Including Chardonnay
Another California Chardonnay that is consistently good is Hahn. You can easily find this in the stores. But the winery has multiple tiers like this appellation series.

This one is from Hahn's appellation series. It smells like citrus and vanilla. It has. It has body but is still on the lighter side of chardonnay with apple, lemon, butter and pastry dough. $20 range.
Chardonnay from Oregon is commanding the spotlight more and more. One of my favorites comes from Mad Violets. However, Angela Vineyards is quite nice too.

From Oregon, Angela Vineyards Chardonnay is a small production. It was aged in some oak but it's a bright rather than heavy wine. It has some apple, citrus and a hint of salinity. $38 range.
For something totally different, look to Early Mountain wines from Virginia. Since Virginia was said to be the original destination of the pilgrims, I have to include a wine from there for Thanksgiving.
Early Mountain has four different vineyards and grows a variety of grapes like petit manseng. It's one you don't see a lot on store shelves, found most often in southwest France.

Early Mountain Vineyards Petit Manseng is for the wine geek in your crowd. It is a golden color and smells a little like honey suckle. This also has tropical fruits like papaya and pineapple, lemon curd and a hint of spice. It has a round mouth feel and was good with a salad. $65
It's really hard to have a perfect pairing for Thanksgiving so pull the cork on something you know you like, then experiment with something new and have fun tasting both with different foods on the table. Just be sure to pick up some white wines for Thanksgiving festivities
Drink Responsibly