Featured On The Somm Set:

View Doug’s Thanksgiving Picks Here!

“In a nod to the early days when I was dating my wife, and these were the wines we drank, I will pull out some J.J. Pruem, some Zilliken Saarburger Rausch, and some Fritz Haag. The dessert wines are astounding but so too are the merely half sweet wines: the Kabinet or even QbA wines. They, like Alsace wines, are perfect at the Thanksgiving table. And, speaking of those, Zind Humbrecht makes wines that absolutely sing with foods like these. Yes, there will be red wines: Bethel Heights Casteel Reserve Pinot Noir is a favorite and, if the family goads me on, I will open a Ridge Montebello. Because I am truly,  desperately passionate about Ridge Montebello, and it’s a holiday!” -Doug Frost, MS & MS

Aperitif
Delamotte Blanc de Blancs Millesime 2012
Gosset Grand Reserve NV
“You simply can not go wrong with bubbles!” -Shane Davis, Quality Assurance Manager

Cheese Course
Larkmead Tocai Friulano 2019
“I fell in love with this wine during our Raid (Y)our Cellar tasting with Dan Petroski and Alex LaPratt. Larkmead’s 2019 Tocai Friulano is a special wine made from a unique grape variety from Italy’s northeastern region of Friuli; Tocai Friulano is recognized as one of the best food pairing white wines. This wine is perfect chilled or even served at cellar temperature paired with cheese, salad or even turkey!” -Mikaela Haynes, Vice President of Operations

The Greens
Dagueneau Pouilly Fume Silex 2014
“You can never go wrong with anything Dagueneau, and the 2017 Pouilly-Fumé ‘Silex’ is as good as it gets. This biodynamic producer almost has a Burgundian style of winemaking, producing age-worthy Sauvignon Blancs from the appellation of Pouilly-Fumé. 100% Sauvignon Blanc, this wine dominates the Thanksgiving Day table!” -Jeremiah Callahan, Sales & Commercial Development

The Main Event- Turkey
Burklin Wolf Deidesheimer Hohenmorgen Trocken GC 2013
“For a Turkey Course, I’m looking at a nice German Riesling: Burklin Wolf Deidesheimer Hohenmorgen Trocken GC 2013. With a WA93 score and a drinking window of 2017-2026, this full-bodied wine will be stand up next to the meat and be delicious.” -Sean Kays, Assistant Manager of Data

Savory Stuffing
Martinelli Zinfandel Vellutini Ranch 2012
“Since I won’t be able to make it home for the holiday, I wanted to bring a little piece of our Italian Thanksgiving tradition to my family’s table this year. I’ll be preparing a panettone-based stuffing with spicing sausage and all the veggie classics we come to expect in the ‘other’ main dish. To complement the bold sausage flavors and slightly sweet panettone, I’ll be serving a Zinfandel from one of my favorite producers, Martinelli Vineyards. The bottle is a 2012 Vellutini Ranch from Russian River Valley; it’s drinking beautifully now and showing a lighter, well-balanced profile of bramble fruits and leather. I just can’t wait — is it Thanksgiving yet?!” -Derrick Light, Data Manager

Thanksgiving Favorites
In-Stock White Burgundy
“One of my must-haves for Thanksgiving is white burgundy. Sure, there are plenty of delicious wines to pair with each course and dish, but white burg is what I want with me through it all. I usually opt for a Chablis (Raveneau, Dauvissat, and Domaine W. Fevre are a few favorites)because it’s crisp, mineral-driven, and just one of the most delicious wines on earth, in my opinion. This helps cut through some of the heavier dishes but also tends to pair well with everything and all the sides. In my opinion, you can’t go wrong, and Chablis is definitely on my list of things to be thankful for each year.” -Cristina De Risi, Senior Sales Manager

Something Sweet
Ferreira Port 1995
“Ferreira is full of ripe blackberries and currant, warm spices and cocoa, the perfect glass to end one of the year’s best meals!” -Vanessa Martinez, Assistant Manager of Business Development

Thanksgiving Leftovers
Forget Chemin Brut Special Club Rose 2014
“I never need a reason to drink Champagne or, more importantly, Special Club, but on days that it is preferable to have Champagne for breakfast (with a 3-day weekend on the horizon), I look for something vintage. I am obsessed with Forget-Chemin’s 2014 Special Club Brut Rose. With 70% Pinot Meunier (which is rare for a Special Club) and 20% grand cru Pinot Noir from Mailly, most of this producer’s fruit is grown outside their home in Ludes—a premier cru village in the Montagne de Reims. Perfect for leftover turkey sandwiches and Black Friday shopping!” -Jen Saxby, Marketing Manager

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.