Thankful for wine?

It's that time of year when we are all getting ready to freak out, spend a ton of money, and hope to not lose our minds with good cheer. If you're like me, every holiday meal is another chance to pull the cork on something special and get some reward for all the insanity. Thanksgiving is only a few days away so we're all wondering "hmmmm, what should I drink with the one meal that is sooo good that I only eat it once a year...?"

See, I like turkey, but I'm pretty sure that I like it for the reason that I like Corn Flakes, and that's because it's simple and comforting. Creamy mashed potatoes, green beans swimming in cream of mushroom soup, stuffing, and an infinite number of similar dishes mean that, for most people, Thanksgiving food isn't the most exciting culinary experience- so no need to waste the good wine.

Pairing wine with simple food shouldn't really be hard but because it seems too easy, we often think we should put more effort into it. For me, I have 2 choices when I am picking out which wine to bring to Thanksgiving: I can sit and analyze the menu and think about what would best compliment or contrast each dish; or I can just realize that the food is the same as it always is and pick something that I really want to drink and screw it if it isn't a golden pairing.

If you're trying to find a good match, focus on wines that have some solid fruit, low tannins, and medium body. Its pretty hard to find a white wine that doesn't agree with turkey meat and herbs n' spice flavored bread chunks so grab what you want as long as it has some nice fruit to stand up to the sweetness of sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce, and some acidity, so the flavors stay bright and clear. Unoaked white wines with bright appley flavors like young Chardonnay and Riesling are top matches since they compliment the Fall-ish flavors of the food while still being refreshing. Other good choices are Gruner Veltliner, Pinot Gris, or lots of indigenous Italian varietals with bright fruit and aromatics like Verdicchio, Grillo, or Arneis. For reds, stick to something light and fruit driven with maybe a hint of spiciness. Beaujolais Nouveau is the seasonally hyped, and often overdone choice, but feel free to go with something else that screams freshness like a simple Grenache from Spain or a Barbera D'Asti, zippy with acidity. Just don't go for the big, fat, extract monster wines like Australian Shiraz, California Petite Sirah, or wines that have a ton of oak on them since those will totally overpower and obscure the flavors of the meal or end up tasting dried out and flat.
If you're not concerned about matching the food with the wine, just go for what you like and concentrate on finishing your glass.