Wine pairing with turkey, is NOT about the turkey, oh no, it is all about the whole dish, so really this should not be just wine pairing with turkey but wine pairing with Christmas dinner.
So remember the basic guidelines for wine pairing with turkey et al, firstly don’t buy a wine just because you have been recommended it, when asking which wine pairing with turkey ‘dinner’ will be the best, buy a wine that you like … no love, it is Christmas!
As we learn at Level 1, if your Christmas dinner is just a plate of turkey, then that is a different story to wine pairing with turkey and all the trimmings! I am assuming here that your turkey will be accompanied by roast potatoes, parsnips, brussels sprouts, peas, carrots, butter beans, lots of strong herby stuffing, lashings of rich gravy, and a good amount of seasoning.
The dish is very flavoursome, so we need to avoid bland wines! Wine pairing with turkey all on its own is fine with a neutral wine, but here we can really go for it with the strong flavours. Also we have quite a bit of richness with all that thick, heavy gravy so a reasonable level of acidity will help with that, and finally, as we are not being shy on the salt, we can play around with tannic and oaky wines if we so desire.
So wine brief for wine pairing with turkey, strong flavours! …
White wines with Turkey
Alsace or Franken Pinot Gris
Chenin Blanc – Vouvray Sec (or demi-sec would offset all that salt nicely) or perhaps Stellenbosch or Gisborne
Sicilian Grillo
Cote d’Or Oaked Chardonnay Commune level or above, or a premium New World wine.
Red wines with Turkey
Italy for Sangiovese so a good Chianti Classico, Super Tuscan, Brunello di Montalcino.
Pinotage head for Stellenbosh
A blend with a good percentage of Touriga Nacional, the Douro is a good starting point.
Malbec go for one with a bit of oak ageing, some producers call them their Gran Malbec.
This is just the beginning, just remember to give your wine a chance, and if you are not having stuffing and gravy then you can perhaps have something a little more subtle.
So what will I be having with my turkey for Christmas dinner this year? A bottle of Brunello di Montalcino that my husband bought me for my birthday in Italy a few years ago that I have been saving for a treat.
Enjoy!
Wine pairing with turkey by Erica Dent AIWS, Enjoy Discovering Wine
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