Pairing wine with Thanksgiving dinner and other holiday meals can be tricky stuff but today we have your secret weapon: Rosé.
First up, why Rosé? I asked Tom Natan, the importer behind the wines we are highlighting today:
"Pairing Thanksgiving dinner foods with wine can be tough -- there's a lot going on there, turkey and gravy, sweet potatoes, all sorts of vegetables. You need something with a little acidity to cut through it and a little heft of fruit and earthiness. Rosés, made with red wine grapes, can do this all better than white wines, and they look pretty on the table, too!"
Your next question will of course be, which ones? We've covered lots of delicious rosé here at the site and today we have two more tasty ones.
First up is the 2012 Cave la Romaine Cotes du Ventoux Rosé Tradition, a blend of 85% Grenache and 15% Cinsault from Cotes du Ventoux, Rhone, France. Sample submitted for review. SRP $10. Imported by first vine.
From the bottle:
"Serve at 46-50F.
Drink now or hold up to 2 years.
Serve with fish and seafood, salads, poultry, Thanksgiving foods.13.0% Alcohol"
The 2012 Cave la Romaine Cotes du Ventoux Rosé Tradition begins with pleasant aromas of citrus, bright and spicy mixed berry and a few floral notes. Tasting reveals a light and tasty wine with a nice viscous texture. There's also a bit of almost spicy minerality flowing underneath that plays well with the fruit. It even has some pleasant soft tannins on the long finish. Quite nice!
Overall Rating: 7.3
Recommended Buy
Next up is the 2012 Chateau de Clapier Rosé, a blend of 50%Cinsault, 35% Grenache, 10% Pinot Noir and 5% Syrah from Cotes du Luberon, Rhone, France. Sample submitted for review. SRP $13. Imported by first vine.
From the bottle:
"Serve at 46-50F.
Drink now or hold up to 2 years.
Serve with salads, seafood, spicy food, Thanksgiving dinner.13.5% Alcohol"
The 2012 Chateau de Clapier Rosé begins with a fantastic aroma of strawberry, citrus, watermelon, a few floral notes and even a touch of sea salt. The wine tastes round and almost full in the mouth -- this one has a bit more substantial mouthfeel than your standard rosé and I like it. When tasting you'll find similar flavors to the nose with nice acidity. It ends with surprising length. This is an easy to drink and delicious wine that has a very high quaffability factor. Highly recommended!