Discover Walla Walla

It's that time of the year when every food and wine related magazine's focus is "turkey talk." And with every article, the standard Q&A suggests Pinot Noir is the wine to pair with turkey. Blah-blah-blah and blah!

Hey Pilgrim, do you see a lot of Pinot Noir in the Walla Walla Valley? And when you consider that we celebrate the holiday with an abundant feast of savory and sweet, why limit yourself and your guests to one kind of wine?

The Bird: Every Spring many Walla Walla wineries release a variety of crisp rosés from Cabernet Franc to Sangiovese. These pastel colored wines are softer and less tannic offering the right amount of acids to balance the richness of the turkey. Hopefully, you already have a few Walla Walla produced rosés in your cellar as they sell out quickly. If you're one of those people who tout, "I only do redsss," think about softer and fruitier Merlots and Sangioveses or even an aged Cabernet Sauvignon. If your cellar is looking a little empty L'Ecole No 41 often has a selection of library wines available for purchase.

If you are a white wine drinker and want to highlight the buttery flavors of the turkey, ‘taters, and gravy, there are several aromatic white wines that will enhance the main dishes. Check out Locati Cellars Pinot Grigio, Seven Hills Pinot Gris, SuLei Cellars Rousanne or go bubbly with Tru Cellars Blanc de Blanc.

The Stuffing: Of course you can always pair the same wine as the turkey, but what else did Grandma toss in her recipe? Apples in a savory sage and onion stuffing will pair well with a dry Riesling from Woodward Canyon or if the stuffing is sweeter, try an off-dry Riesling from Walla Walla Village Winery or Lowden Hills. Is there bacon or sausage in the stuffing? Bring out the smokiness with a Syrah from Forgeron Cellars, Trust Cellars or Rotie Cellars. 

The Sweet Potatoes: Marshmallow or au naturale? The same Riesling at the table will pair well or think about a Gewurztraminer from Sleight of Hand Cellars if you add some extra brown sugar and spice to those sweet golden nuggets.

The Green: Yeah, I know - the token green vegetable that we slather lots of butter on, while feeling righteous because we have a green "healthy" vegetable at our table. Again, think about a dry aromatic white such as a Sauvignon Blanc from Couvillion Cellars.

The Cranberries: Were you inspired by Martha Stewart and made your own cranberry sauce or is your jellied sauce cleverly "sculpted" to look like the outside of an aluminum can? (you know who you are) Remember, cranberries aren't really an entrée and more of a relish, so read above for wine suggestions. Rinse, lather and repeat or check out the artisan hard ciders from Blue Mountain Cider Company.

The Pie: Pumpkin, apple or pecan or all three? Yes please. Take this time to enjoy a cup of coffee from the Walla Walla Roastery, but when you later think about seconds on that pie, have a glass of Late Harvest Gewürztraminer from Three Rivers Winery or a Cabernet Sauvignon Port from Canoe Ridge Vineyards.

The Leftovers: Mmm...my favorite part of Thanksgiving. After all that work of preparing the feast, pairing the wines and doing the dishes, forget the wine. Just grab yourself a brewsky to go with that turkey sandwich and a nap.