Italian Wine Picks For Our American Thanksgiving
While Thanksgiving 2020 will look a bit different with less travel and less time spent with loved ones, we can still celebrate and have a bit of fun with the upcoming Thanksgiving feast! For starters, instead of spending the holiday with extended family I will be attempting my first Thanksgiving in our home with my immediate family. While I’ve prepared a few side dishes before, I have never cooked a Thanksgiving Turkey let alone the entire meal! While I am heartbroken we can’t all be together, I do intend to brighten the mood with a non-traditional take on Thanksgiving wine pairings by including some Italian goodness into our American tradition. Below are the dishes (with links) I am going to attempt to whip up next week with my Italian wine recommendations for you to be inspired by. Hopefully this gives you enough time to grab a few of these bottles (or similar) so you can put that Italian flair on your Thanksgiving table too! Salute!
Recipe
Cheese Ball (family recipe)
Ingredients
16oz Cream Cheese
8oz can crushed pineapple (drained)
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 finely chopped green onions
2 cups chopped Walnuts
2 tsp Lawry’s Season Salt
Directions
Mix all the ingredients, using only 1 cup of the walnuts listed and form into a ball.
Reserve 2nd cup of walnuts for topping.
Refrigerate overnight.
Before serving, roll cheese ball in reserved cup of pecans.
Serve with crackers of choice.
Wine
Let’s start off the feast with some bubbles! Trento DOC makes for a wonderful Thanksgiving aperitivo. With nice structure these “mountain bubbles” would pair perfectly with a creamy cheese type of appetizer. Trento DOC was the first Italian DOC to exclusively produce metodo classico (traditional method) sparkling wines and might I add they are the finest in all of Italy! I’ve also added Franciacorta DOCG from Lombardy, the first DOCG in Italy to produce metodo classico sparkling, as another great pairing option with its gorgeous fruit, mineral notes and fine acidity!
Suggested Bottles
Franciacorta Brut, Faccoli | $39.96
2015 Trento DOC “Maso Nero” by Azienda Agr. Zeni R (found this through Bravino Wine Club)
Recipes
Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Squash with Dried Cranberries and Dijon Vinaigrette by A Beautiful Plate
Wine
Thanksgiving sides can be a meal by itself which is why I’m suggesting full bottles to go along with the fixings! Since these sides above are pretty hearty I’m going for a full-flavored white wine which is easy to find amongst food friendly Italian whites! Pecorino is full of floral notes, lovely acidity and depth which will cut perfectly into the creaminess and saltiness of the dishes above! I’m also going to throw in one of Italy’s most important white wine appellations - Soave DOC specifically Soave Classico. A great white with depth, nice acidity, floral notes and almond is yet another elegant option to pair with hearty sides!
Suggested Bottles
Gini - Soave Classico 2018 | $13.90
Pecorino Emidio Pepe 2016 (get this one if you can find it) | $104.99 (splurge)
Tiberio Pecorino 2018 | $25.99
Recipes
Easy, No-Fuss Thanksgiving Turkey by Tastes Better From Scratch
Wine
Finally the turkey! Not going to lie I am quite intimidated when it comes to actually cooking a turkey but I guess you don’t know what you are dealing with unless you try! I’m going with this easy, no frills turkey recipe as my first attempt and really let the turkey’s flavors do the work! We can’t forget the gravy which I don’t have a recipe for yet. Any suggestions? In terms of bottlings I feel the list is endless - Italians love their food and so do their wines! A crunchy, full bodied Montepulciano d’Abruzzo will most likely have you eating turkey with gravy for days (the combo is addicting). The Gattinara from Northern Piemonte (Nebbiolo!) screams Thanksgiving with its nutmeg, cherry + leathery goodness. Finally, a little southern gem native to Sicily, Nero d’Avola is a full-bodied dry red with delicious black fruit med-high acidity and medium tannin that will cut right through the juiciness of the turkey and gravy combo perfectly.
Suggested Bottles
Recipes
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes by The Food Network
Wine
While you could do a deliciously sweet Moscato d’Asti (the rule of thumb when pairing wine with dessert is - the wine should be sweeter than the treat), no one will be driving therefore you could finish strong with a glorious grappa or traditional limoncello to top off this years most untraditional evening.
Suggested Bottles
Wishing everyone a lovely and memorable Thanksgiving 2020!
xx, Heather