Freshly carved turkey, buttery mashed potatoes, herb-filled stuffing, rich cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie- is your mouth watering yet? With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it is safe to say the holiday season is in full force. Just like friends, family, and food on the holidays- we’ve always believed the more wine, the merrier.
It’s true- even the simplest of dishes can be hard to pair with the perfect wine. When considering flavor profile and texture- pairing a large holiday meal such as Thanksgiving can seem like an impossible feat. Our solution? Pair your holiday meal with wines that complement a wide variety of dishes, such as wines from Northern Rhône!
In the Northern Rhône, the Syrah grape reaches its height of expression. The wines are full-bodied, firm, versatile, and savory. They manifest a host of signature secondary aromas, including smoke, grilled meat, olive, lavender, and peppercorn- perfect for pairing both dark and white turkey meats, cranberry sauces, creamy potatoes, and herb-filled stuffing!
Check out this breakdown of the many regions of the Northern Rhône and find the perfect selection for your Thanksgiving dinner!
Shop our selection of wines from Northern Rhône!
Cote Rotie
The “roasted slope” is the Rhone’s northernmost appellation and home to some of France’s steepest vineyards and biggest producers. Up to 20% Viognier may be blended into Cote-Rotie’s Syrah fermentations. This region often expresses flavors of black currant, violet, and chocolate along with savory hints of olive, bacon fat, white pepper, and charcoal.
St. Joseph
The impossibly steep granite hillsides of St. Joseph translate directly into the wines grown here. Often a great budget-friendly option, an earthy, mineral core, is engulfed in spicy, savory flavors in these intricate wines.
Hermitage
Perhaps the most famous hilltop in France. Four major producers call the terraced hill their home, and the wines are known for their long-range magnificence. If you are looking to open a bottle of wine from this region this year, we advise you to select a bottle with at least 5-10 years of age on it, as this region is best aged. Expect complex, rich flavors of blackberry, coffee, licorice, candied cherry, and smoke.
Crozes-Hermitage
Behind the hill of Hermitage are the vineyards of Crozes-Hermitage. These red wines are generally lighter and a little less age-worthy. This is a region to watch. These wines are often overshadowed by their better-known siblings but have seen immense improvement over the years. The wines of Crozes-Hermitage are quite aromatic, with perfume-like notes of violets and fresh berry.
Cornas
Find our illustrious red grape bottled as a 100% varietal here; the only region where small amounts of Rhone’s white grapes are not allowed to be blended in. The wines are traditionally rustic, impenetrable in their youth, and slow to develop in the bottle. These wines are the boldest of the bunch- with strong tannic expression, flavors of blackberry jam, black pepper, violet, black licorice, charcoal, chalk dust, and smoke.
From your first guest through the main event and long into the evening – each region from Northern Rhône is sure to offer a palate-pleasing delight! Can’t decide which region to choose? Try all three and determine the crowd favorite! We wish you and your family a happy day of shared conversations, delicious meals, and of course, many bottles of wine.
Shop our selection of wines from Northern Rhône!
Established in 2002, Benchmark Wine Group is the leading source of fine and rare wine retailers, restaurants and collectors around the world. Based in Napa Valley, we acquire the most sought-after wines from private individuals and professional contacts, but only when provenance can be verified by our team of acquisition professionals. Our staff draws on decades of industry experience and is dedicated to providing exceptional service to all of our clients. Benchmarkwine.com offers 24-hour access to our cellar, displaying inventory in real-time.
