Friday, October 20, 2006

Quick question for anyone who cares to answer

(Rian, I'm looking at you) Can anyone recommend a nice wine (not red, I get migraines) to go with the standard turkey/stuffing/mashed potato church basement dinner? Our family is doing the traditional Harvest Supper with Jackie's family this weekend, and last year we saw people carrying in their own wine. Brilliant! I like Alice White, Yellowtail - easy to find, not expensive Australian whites, but would consider something different. Jackie's looking for a Shiraz, her new fav, but I want a white. Any ideas? I hear good things about a couple of New Zealand wineries and am intrigued by some of the Spanish whites I've seen lately.

****Update****

Here's what we're going with. Greg at the wine store recommended it - a Sardinian white, fruity, not too oak-y. One of his favourites right now, I'll let you know how it turns out. He's heard good things about the Cloudy Bay, but doesn't have it. He did agree, though, that the grassy New Zealand Chardonnays might be too light for turkey. Great with salads, seafood, egg dishes... I came across a Yangarra Park Chardonnay downstairs too (oops, how'd we not drink that?) that has a price sticker on it from the grocery store. Cheaper, but an online search suggests it's probably just as good. We'll see.

Oh, and this is Bristol, VT

3 comments:

Dianne said...

Hi, Dorothy,

How about one of the Australian chardonnays? Here in California we can usually count on finding Rosemount or Lindemann's Chardonnay at our local supermarket and both are very tasty and won't break the bank. We're usually shiraz drinkers, but for a white, I really like Australian chardonnay. If you have the Beverages and More chain in VT, that's a great source for Australian wines, too.

Dianne said...

Oh, yeah, and I almost forgot...I think Cloudy Bay is the NZ label that has wonderful chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. More expensive than the Australian ones I suggested before, I think, but excellent.

Anonymous said...

I looked to Wine Spectator for the answer. All of these score 90 points or more:

Flora Springs Chardonnay, Napa Vally Barrel Fermented, $25.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay Columbia Valley Canoe Ridge Estate, $20.

Domaine Alfred Chardonnay Edna Valley, $24.

There were no New Zealand Chardonnays listed, however there is:

Grove Mill Reisling Marlborough, $17.

Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough, $20.

But Reisling and Sauv Blanc don't pair well with bird. They go with shrimp, cheese, salads.

You asked about Spain. From Spain there is Bodegas Martinez Serantes AlbariƱo Baixas Dona Rosa, $16. Says it pairs with seafood.

Everyone should drink with they like, but Shiraz (Syrah) does not pair well with bird. It will make it taste "off." Save it for a steak or lamb chops.

Dianne is right. Cloudy Bay is excellent. Hard to find sometimes, but lucky you if you can find one.

Let us know how you did.