If you’re struggling to pair wines with your Thanksgiving feast, wine expert Will Jones is here to help. Jones, the chief operating officer of Deep Roots Restaurant Group, is also the wine director at The Hope Farm and Little Bird in Fairhope, AL. Under his leadership, The Hope Farm earned Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence and became one of only two Alabama restaurants ever named a semifinalist for the James Beard Outstanding Wine & Other Beverages Program Award.
So what would Jones serve with his Thanksgiving meal? Here are his three picks.
Gruet “Sauvage” Blanc de Blancs
His first suggestion is Gruet “Sauvage” Blanc de Blancs, “because every social event needs to start with a sparkling wine.” This is a zero-dosage sparkling wine produced in Albuquerque, NM, and due to the lack of added sugar, it is zippy, bright and refreshing, Jones says.
“Plus, who can say they often share wines from New Mexico with their family and friends?” he adds. “That is a full conversation on its own.”
As for pairing this sparkler, Jones says he would have to go with deviled eggs. “The tart character of this wine will work really well at balancing the richness of this holiday favorite, and probably my favorite dish at any holiday event.”
Gruner veltliner
His second recommendation for Thanksgiving is always gruner veltliner. “This is a white grape varietal that really works well with the spiced tones we see in lots of Thanksgiving dishes, ranging from the classic cornbread dressing to finishing with a glass while you nibble on your first, second or third piece of pie.”
Jones often leans towards Austrian gruner veltliners, such as Schloss Gobelsberg, for his holiday share wines. “The entry-level bottling packs a great bang-for-the-buck per bottle. However, if can find one of the single vineyards, it will be a true delight to drink and share with your loved ones.”
Peay pinot noir
His last suggestion hails from the West Sonoma Coast of California. “Any of the wines in this growing region will blow your socks off, but one specific winery comes to mind when I think of what I am going to share this season,” Jones says. That winery is Peay Vineyards.
“The property is beautiful, the wines are truly exceptional and their hospitality was breathtaking,” he explains. “These are all principles we focus on at the holidays, and sharing those through a glass while I tell the story behind a label is what I love to do.”
Specifically, Jones will be sharing a bottle of the Peay “Scallop Shelf” pinot noir. “In the soil of this vineyard you can find fossilized marine life, including massive scallops, and that does come through to the final wine,” he notes. “The oceanic tones marry with dark stone fruits and baking spices to build into a wine that will pair with everything from your roasted turkey to the coveted oyster casserole everyone looked forward to each season.”
After sharing this bottle with the family, Jones adds, “you may need to hide the final few bottles before they scavenge the last drops, the same way they search for that casserole recipe each year.”
