AsiaLIFE

This month Darren Gall gives a few suggestions for paring wines with your Thanksgiving Meal.

The traditional North American, thanksgiving is taken on the second Monday of October in Canada and the fourth Thursday of November in the U.S.. A form of harvest festival, it celebrates the autumn harvest feast of 1621, shared between the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Indians. The story goes that the starving pilgrims – whose initial attempts at growing crops had all failed in the first season (1620) – were introduced to the native turkey as well as many local fruits and vegetables by the local tribe. With the success of the second attempt to grow crops (1621), governor William Bradford invited the Indians to share in the harvest feast, which then became a gathering to give thanks for the crop and to the Wampanoag.

The central theme of the thanksgiving meal is the turkey, preferably roasted, the larger the better, stuffed with many a well guarded and oft handed down recipe of herbs, spices, nuts, fruits and grains, served with a side of cranberry sauce and a boat of gravy. Alongside the turkey, the table is set with all manner of delights – from cured ham, shellfish and crustaceans, to soups, sweet potatoes, corn, devilled eggs, Waldorf salads, rice and corn-bread (in the south), along with biscuits and sweets for the children, cheese plates and apple pie (preferably just like Mum used to bake).Here you will find a selection of wine recommendations that are available in Cambodia – these pairings should have even the fussiest of feasters giving you all the thanks you need.

On Arrival

Nothing says celebration quite like sparkling wine. Pink Champagne is all the fashion at the minute, while Italian styles Moscato di Asti and Bracchetto are also very trendy. Recommendation: Taittinger Comtes du Champagne Rose; Champagne Devaux Rose.

Turkey
Turkey flesh can often be on the dry side so I look for wines that have low acidity, good ‘fruit sweetness’ and a touch of viscosity. Pinot Gris (in the Alsace style as opposed to the Italian Pinot Grigio style), is the perfect white for me, although Viognier also matches quite well. The perfect red is a sparkling Shiraz although Pinot Noir is also sublime. A fuller bodied Merlot or, a medium bodied Zinfandel can also work well. Recommendation: E. Guigal Cote du Rhone Blanc; Banrock Station Sparkling Shiraz; Leon Beyer Pinot Gris.

Ham
Thanksgiving hams are often sugar or honey cured, juicy and a little fatty, (often contrasted with a sweet/sour apple sauce high in natural acidity), so we can either compliment or contrast these flavours with our wine choice. Viognier is a delicious, fruity, spicy, low acid white wine match that compliments well; rosé works very well with its soft fruit and good acidity; and cool climate Merlot is a delightful, contrasting red wine pairing. Remember that fuller bodied wines tend to be too overpowering here. Recommendation: Trentham Estate Viognier; Vina Maipo Rosé; Paringa Merlot

Seafood
Usually with crustaceans and shellfish, a delicate, lighter bodied white wine with good natural acidity is the preferred choice. Sancerre or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect match. A flinty dry and delicate Chablis also works well. Recommendations: Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc; Laroche Chablis Grand Cru ‘Blanchots’; Springfield ‘Life from Stone’ Sauvignon Blanc.

Cheese Platters
It’s a difficult match when both soft cheeses, such as brie and camembert, and hard cheeses are served on the same platter. I suggest a sweet, delicate late harvest wine like Sauternes, Barsac or Auslese for soft cheeses, Cabernet Sauvignon for harder cheeses or, a good vintage port if it’s a combination of the two. Recommendation: Quinta do Noval 20-year-old Tawny Port; Trentham Estate Taminga,

Apple Pie
A difficult dish to pair with wine but I enjoy matching it with late harvest Riesling, a delicately sweet Moscato or an Amontillado sherry. Recommendation: Trentham Estate Taminga; d’Arenberg ‘Noble’ Riesling.

After Dinner
Cigars and Cognac, or Armagnac are the perfect way to finish any feast, a chance to undo the top button of your trousers, recline back into a comfortable chair, get all reflective, introspective and philosophical whilst the digestive qualities of a fine cognac and a good Cuban cigar work their magic. Recommendation: Michele Chiarlo Grappa di la Court; Sempe Vieil Armagnac (15 years).