Plagued by a very poor wine selection (I’m in Castlegar…), I was given the daunting task of buying an array of wine for tonight’s early turkey dinner featuring 15 of my family members (most of which aren’t regular wine drinkers). Not daunting in the fact that I have something to prove, as most people at the table probably wont care what they’re drinking, but I wanted to keep it interesting and enjoyable for those of us who do without spending a ton of money. I also think people put too much effort into finding perfect pairings. Obviously some pairings may clash or get drowned out, but if you think you’ll enjoy drinking a bottle of Shiraz with your turkey, then go ahead and drink that bottle of Shiraz.

If I was back in Vancouver with friends, some immediate wines come to mind:

Thornhaven Estates ‘08 Gewürztraminer - Go local. Spiced poached pears, butterscotch, rich, viscous and a touch sweet. Available at Firefly for $21.

Domaine Huet ‘06 Le Mont Sec Vouvray - Chenin Blanc with citrusy acidity, lots of minerality, honey and pineapple. Available at Marquis for $38.90.

Claus Preisinger ‘06 “Heideboden” - Rich spicy white made from mostly Pinot Blanc - butterscotch and honeyed pears. Available at Firefly around $25ish.

Marcel Lapiere ‘06 Morgon - Cru Beaujolais Gamay at its softest and most elegant - wild sour red berry fruits with herbaceous brambly character. Available at the BCLDB for $39.90.

Clos de la Roilette ‘06 Fleurie - Another Cru Beaujolais, a little more body, spice and herbaceousness than the Lapierre. Available at Liberty Wine Merchants for $37.99.

Peter Franus ‘06 Brandlin Vineyard Zinfandel - For those that want something with some body. Dried herbs and spice with deep purple fruit. Should have the gingerbread spice and juiciness to compliment the flavours synonymous with Thanksgiving. Available at Marquis for $50ish.

For wine on a budget, you can’t beat Cono Sur:

Cono Sur ‘07 Pinot Noir - juicy yet still soft textured - plum and cherry fruit with some earthiness to it. Widely available for $11.49 at the BCLDB.

Cono Sur ‘07 Gewürztraminer - classic perfume and spice with a great viscous richness. Again at the BCLDB for only $10.99.

I, however, have access to none of these wines (Maybe the Cono Sur Gewürztraminer). But there is a limited selection of BC wines here, so I decided to pick what I thought would work and go all local.

Stoneboat ‘05 Pinot Blanc $20
Blackhills ‘06 Chardonnay $30
Therapy ‘08 Pinot Freud $22
Prospect Winery ‘07 “Fats Johnson” Pinot Noir $17

We’ll see how they all stack up tonight.

Natalie MacLean wrote a helpful post this week about wine with Thanksgiving dinner. 5 Tips to Pick Wines for Thanksgiving.