Pairing the perfect wine with your Thanksgiving feast can make your meal even more memorable. Over the past year we have been lucky to have Perrine and Natalia at Perrine’s Wine Shop select wines to pair with our food. They know what type of wine to recommend and always keep in mind that I prefer biodynamic and organic wines. I have been to many restaurants and wine shops and it is rare to find a sommelier who knows and cares about how the grapes are raised and processed. They taste every wine in the store and know what is the best on the market.

To make things easy for everyone this year, Perrine selected some fabulous wines to compliment many Thanksgiving meals. She selected a NV Champagne Jean Laurent Blanc de Blancs to start, a 2011 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Muscat, Alsace to compliment sweet potatoes and corn soufflé, 2009 Peregrine, Pinot Noir, Central Otago, NZ to pair with lamb or other meat dishes, and 2009 Vinsobres, Rhone Valley, FR to enjoy with turkey and tart cranberries.

NV Champagne Jean Laurent Blanc de Blancs
	Jean is a grower champagne, South of the Marne region closer to Chablis, this champagne is made of 100% Chardonnay grapes , blend of 3 vintages and aged for a minimun of 3 years on the yeast before release.Tasting Notes: Melon, brioche and honey aromas on the nose, with light floral notes. Fine bubble texture on the palate, ending with a long, lingering finish.
2011 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Muscat, Alsace
This wine originates 100% from the Herrenweg vineyard, now dominated with the Muscat d’Alsace grape variety, less structured and quicker ripening. The Gravelly soil of the Herrenweg is very precocious and it shows in the style of the wine: very aromatic! Biodynamic Farming.Tasting Notes: Big bold floral nose, unmistakably Muscat. The palate is elegant, displaying long lasting white flower aromas. The little sweetness helps to cover the natural bitterness of this grape.
2009 Peregrine, Pinot Noir, Central Otago, NZ
	Peregrine winery is located on the 45th north latitude like Burgundy and Oregon. Organic Farming.Tasting notes: Expressive nose such has mocha, cherry and raspberries. The palate has wonderful notes of spice, dark cherries, raspberries, and mouth caressing silky fine grain tannins.
2009 Vinsobres, Rhone Valley, FR
Famille Perrin owned different Domains included Chateau Beaucastel from Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Their values have given them a worldwide reputation for excellence. Vinsobres is a village in the southern Rhone with 1000 feet elevation, the vineyard is planted with 50% Syrah and Grenache. Organic Farming.Tasting Notes: Intense on the nose with notes of violet, black fruit and spices, black pepper and licorice. The mouthfeel is round and full with elegant tannins.

Since I cook with lots of herbs and serve sweeter side dishes and condiments, Perrine chose some wines with less oak to balance the maple syrup and honey in my Maple Sage Sausage Dressing and Cranberry Pineapple Relish. While cooking the turkey, we will nibble on some Baked Apricot Brie and sip on some Pinot Blanc. I may open a bottle of Vieille-Vignes, Saint-Veran since it seems to pair with everything including shrimp cocktail or spot prawns.

Then, we will serve the Chenin Blanc and Marsannay with the mashed potatoes, maple and sausage dressing, cranberries, and herb butter turkey. It is a tradition to bake a Brandy Apple Pie and we splurged on the Chateau Bouscassee Brumaire this year since this pie is so delicious.


Marcel Deiss Pinot Blanc, FR	De Morgenzon Chenin Blanc, South Africa

Domaine Collette Marsannay	Chateau Bouscasse Brumaire

I hope one of these wines will compliment your Thanksgiving dinner. If you are uncertain and live in Atlanta, you can always bring in your recipe and ask Perrine or Natalia to find the right wine to fit your taste and budget.