Monthly Archives: November 2013

This is our busiest season at Premier and it is a bit of a trick to get a blog out every weekend between mid-November and early January. Therefore, I decided to write two extended blogs; one for Thanksgiving and one for the Christmas, Hanakuh, and New Years. For each blog I will recommend three wines to keep you, the gentle reader and taster, content.

Thanksgiving can be a complex meal which is why so many of us love it so much, and as a result it can create some wine pairing anxiety. What pairs with what? Will Aunt Edna like the wine with her stuffing or will Cousin Beatrice feel the wine did justice to her gingered sweet potatoes? Keep calm. There is no reason to panic.

The first and only fast rule is: Serve what you want to serve. However, for those of you who seek guidance or wish to try something different, I do have some suggestions.

1. Keuka Springs Gewurztraminer 2011 (14.99)
   This is a deliciously refreshing wine from the Finger Lakes

Butter Chardonnay from Jam Cellars has an obvious tasting note in the name. What is intriguing is that this wine is not very oaky and yet it is buttery. The reason is that most people believe buttery flavors and texture of many California Chardonnays comes from the oak barrels in which the wines are aged. But actually, most of those qualities come from malolactic fermentation, a process that the wines undergo after their primary alcoholic fermentation. This Chardonnay is double-fermented, which is why the flavor is so "buttery."

It has incredible creaminess on the palate and a great finish. You will also taste some tropical fruit flavors of pineapple and honeydew.

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