Home cooks across the U.S. are bringing fresh ideas to the table this Thanksgiving with dishes inspired by flavors they’ve tasted around the globe. Despite its being a quintessential American holiday, Thanksgiving provides the wonderful foundations of turkey, stuffing, cranberries and pumpkin pie on which to riff with multi-ethnic variations.

 

But when it comes to pairing wines with a spiced-up Thanksgiving meal, it can be tricky to navigate which will best complement – not compete with – each dish’s complex flavors. Known for their dogged commitment to producing food-friendly wines, the team at Zaca Mesa Winery in California’s Santa Ynez Valley has a match for even the wildest of international Thanksgiving dish interpretations.


Grape(s): Syrah

Region: Santa Barbara County

Special Designation: (none)

Year: 2008

Price: 20-25

Review:

A bouquet of blackberries, blueberries, and cherries mingles with suggestions of dark chocolate, coffee, and anise. The palate is brimming with dark fruit flavors of blackberry, boysenberry, and cherry with accents of chocolate, coffee, spice, and black licorice. A rich, dense, hearty wine, it’s ideal for fans of more robust Syrahs. Pair it with a Polenta and Chorizo Stuffing from Latin America.

Rating: 89

Character: dark fruit, rich mouthfeel, supple tannis

Grape(s): Syrah

Region: Santa Barbara County

Special Designation: Mesa Reserve

Year: 2007

Price: 40-45

Review:

Aromas of blueberries and blackberries mingle with suggestions of herbs, earth, and spice. A sip reveals flavors of dark berries accented by notes of dusty earth, pepper, fennel seed, and smoked meat. A dark, mouth-filling Syrah, it’s gear for fans of rich, dense reds. Pair it with a recipe for a Roast Turkey with Black Truffle Butter from Italy.

Rating: 91

Character : dark fruit, rich mouthfeel, firm tannis

Grape(s): Roussanne

Region: Santa Barbara County

Year: 2007

Special Designation: (none)

Price: 20-25

Review:

The nose is rich with floral notes, complimented by fresh figs, apricots, lemon, sweet spices, and minerals. The palate is a nice refection of the nose with a round, slightly creamy mouthfeel. A wine with a good balance of floral suggestions and fruit, it’s more complex than many white wines out there. Pair it with a recipe for Pumpkin Flan with Spiced Pumpkin Seeds from Mexico.

Rating: 90

Character: floral, lush fruit, balanced acidity, supple mouthfeel

Grape(s): Viognier

Region: Santa Barbara County

Year: 2009

Special Designation: (none)

Price: 15-20

Review:

On the nose, aromas of peaches and apricots flow into suggestions of springtime flowers and a hint of caramel. The palate offers notes of peach, melon, and apricot along with chalky floral notes and a hint of lemon. A floral, supple wine with a nice balanced acidity, if you enjoy mouth-filling wines without the creaminess of oak, give this bottle a try. Pair it with a recipe for a Miso-Rubbed Turkey from Japan.

Rating: 88

Character: floral, supple moutfeel, balanced acidity