I’ve been asked to recommend a few of our Pinot Noirs for Thanksgiving, which requires a small confession: I don’t particularly like Thanksgiving food. I’ll eat it, and I’ll enjoy the time with family, but I spend very little time looking forward to turkey.
What I am looking forward to is the return of red wine into my life.
I’m writing this in October, after a particularly warm end to summer in Southern California and Santa Barbara County, where our winery is. Today looks like it might bring some rain. My wife’s garden is moving on from the tomatoes, basil, and melons. And I’m starting to want something different in my glass.
Working more closely with my family’s winery has made me pay more attention to these changes. All summer, I reached for our Neighborhood wines and the other refreshing, easy-drinking wines we make for that kind of thirst-quenching, summertime drinking. Lately, though, I’ve been thinking about Pinot Noir again.
So yes, Pinot Noir belongs on the Thanksgiving table. It has the freshness to carry you through a rich meal without overwhelming the food. And if you’re like me, a great bottle might be the part of dinner you look forward to most.
Luckily, we have a few options:
Huntington Pinot Noir is my pick for a feast or Friendsgiving when you need a handful of bottles. It overdelivers without exhausting the wine budget.
Pali Vineyard Pinot Noir is a special bottle and, for me, the centerpiece of the table. I don’t care how good your turkey is, this wine will steal the show.
PCH, our Pinot Noir rosé, is there if Southern California delivers a scorching Thanksgiving. Entirely within the realm of possibility.
Pali Vineyard Gamay is my recommendation if you want to try Pinot’s slightly funkier cousin. I’d personally make room for both.
Maybe your grandmother’s mashed potatoes steal the show every year. Maybe it’s your great-uncle’s gravy. Recipes get passed down, and everyone brings something they’re proud of to the table. These wines are my family’s contribution. We’d be honored to share them with yours.
