Thanksgiving bevs grocery list? Check!
PLUS: The Saratoga regular who appears on the upcoming June Farms Amazon Prime series.
Thanksgiving bevs grocery list? Check!
Saratoga’s pros tell us the very best feasting wines and beers.
It’s Turkey Day! And you’re hosting…You’ve planned, purchased, prepped, and primped — perhaps with a boost from some local breakfast beer or pre-turkey vino — and you’ve (finally) made it to dinner.
Or maybe you were tasked with bringing the wine and haven’t had time to think about it.
Either way, we’re here to help.
For the rich Thanksgiving
If you can’t imagine sitting down to a Thanksgiving meal that doesn’t include at least a stick of butter, cup of gravy, and multiple fistfuls of sausage-flecked stuffing per person, I salute you (and can relate).
Tell your favorite wine shop that you want something juicy and plush. Or reach straight for part-time Saratogian and Dr. Konstantin Frank’s sparkling wine winemaker Barbara Frank’s recommendation: Old Vines Pinot Noir.
Its delicacy balances the vibrant red fruit core, so this Old Vine beauty will cut through the opulence while lifting and playing nicely with all of the toasty, roasty richness on your plate.
For a classic Thanksgiving
If you are planning a slightly more restrained — but still classic, turkey-focused — meal, think north to the Champlain Valley, New York’s northernmost AVA. You’re looking for “bright white wine that will help keep your tastebuds excited with ample flavors of honey and apricot,” says Kyle Mizuno, a Napa Valley-trained winemaker who has scored multiple 90+ point assessments from Wine Spectator, Robert Parker, Antonio Galloni and others.
Mizuno loves the food-friendly wines that emerge from cool climate regions, and he is especially inspired by La Crescent, a white hybrid grape that produces aromatic wines, ideal for pairing with turkey.
Enter Rolling Hills Estate Winery, where Mizuno has landed, believing it to be the next great wine region. He recommends, no surprise, the 2024 Rolling Hills Estate La Crescent for Thanksgiving.
The flintiness and velvet finish pair perfectly with a balanced Thanksgiving feast of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and (if you’re anything like me), so much more.
For a lighter Thanksgiving
If you’re eschewing turkey and stuffing — or are simply focusing more on the lighter, brighter and greener side of things this year — Mike Corey, maestro of the American Wine Society Saratoga, recommends a Grüner Veltliner.
One of the best New York-born-and-bred options is from Weis Vineyards in the Finger Lakes. This Grüner pours out citrus-bright: lime, lemons, grapefruit, with honeydew and pear shining through and rounding things out. And there’s an herbaceous and spicy quality that keeps you coming back for more.
Sip with all the pie
Wined out? Munich Dunkel beer is known for its rich flavors — and notes of toast, nuts and caramel.
Whitman Brewing Co.’s brand-new Moonlight Over Munich Dunkel will truly sing with all of the classic Thanksgiving pies: apple, pumpkin and pecan.
Opting for chocolate? Autumn Manning, East NY regional manager for Keuka Spring Vineyards in the Finger Lakes, suggests its 2023 Classic Brusco.
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Rhea’s new happy hour
On a recent episode of the Destination Saratoga podcast, Rhea head chef Pete Hahm dished on the hotspot’s brand-new happy hour. It runs 4.30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday — plus all day on Sundays. Think drink specials and a bao bun/ramen combo for just $15.
Ta-da!
Yesterday I gave you an unapproved sneak peek of the newest (fourth) “wild” horse art at Standard Fare. Here’s artist Daniel Fairley’s finished painting — varnish, frame and all — hanging near the restaurant’s hostess stand as of last night. Thad’s Pick on The Final Stretch replaces Paint Me Like One of Thad’s Picks, which sold after just nine days.
Spotted!
The Times Union’s Rick Marshall scored a preview screener of the upcoming series June Farms and revealed in an article yesterday that there are very few cameos of non-staffers. But one broke through: Saratoga regular Erin Harkes, host of UPH’s all-female comedy night, Women Aren’t Funny. Check her out when the show premieres Monday on Amazon Prime Video.
Today’s Dish Saratoga was brought to you by…
Opera Saratoga presents La boheme, a concert version of Puccini’s timeless masterpiece. Featuring local and national talent, this first-ever holiday production brings together the magic of Juilliard, The Metropolitan Opera, Skidmore Chorus and Excelsior Vocal Ensemble.
🎭 UPH | Friday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.
🎟️ Tickets: atuph.org
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