Dare to pair

Wine authorities ready to pour out vintage advice, By Chandra Orr Wondering about the best wine varietals to complement your Thanksgiving turkey? Help is only a phone call away. The experts at Turning Leaf Vineyard hope to take the guesswork out of wine pairing this holiday season. During the week of Thanksgiving, a panel of notable food, wine and entertaining experts will be on call at the Thanksgiving Tips Hotline to answer questions, offer advice and demystify the art of selecting the right wine for the meal. “We want to give people confidence and enthusiasm so they can create a more interesting meal and be more adventurous in their food and wine choices,” said hotline expert Christine Ansbacher, author of “Secrets from The Wine Diva: Tips on Buying, Ordering and Enjoying Wine” ($15, Sterling). Instead of serving the same old chardonnay or merlot, for example, Ansbacher encourages home chefs to take make a more distinctive selection. “There are other choices out there that will make you look like you have a lot of wine sense,” she said. For a traditional Thanksgiving spread, consider pinot grigio or riesling, which complement savory side dishes like cranberry sauce, stuffing and gravy with their crisp, fruity flavor. “The side dishes at Thanksgiving are so highly seasoned that you need a wine with fruity flavors and a slight sweetness to dampen the spiciness,” Ansbacher explained. “Pinot grigio and riesling are light, crisp and refreshing. They make your mouth water — and the fruitiness can actually make up for the blandness of the lean cut of meat like turkey.” Approach red wines using the same principles. Look for reds with ripe fruit flavors to tame spicy, salty and smoky side dishes. “A pinot noir with gobs of fruit flavors would be unexpected at the Thanksgiving table. It would be a different, distinctive and adventurous choice,” Ansbacher said. Even a nontraditional Thanksgiving ham serves up well with a fruitier wine. “A fruity wine acts as a firefighter to hose down the mouth and dampen the heavy ingredients — and it shows that you have a lot of wine savvy.” While fruity wines add flavor to milder, leaner cuts of meat, like the traditional Thanksgiving turkey, dry wines with a heavy oak flavor tame denser dishes like roast beef, lamb, quail or pheasant. Chefs opting for one of these less traditional dishes can’t go wrong with a chardonnay or a red wine. “You can make a more sophisticated choice based on a little bit of science,” Ansbacher explained. “If you have a lot of fat in the meat, as with steak, roast or lamb, the fat acts as a pavement and coats your palette.” Keep in mind, when it comes to wine pairings, there are no strict rules, only preferences. For insight on what wines will work best with your Thanksgiving feast, contact the experts at Turning Leaf Vineyard’s Thanksgiving Tips Hot Line. The hotline will be available from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST Nov. 19 through Nov. 21. To reach the experts, call 866-998-5323 (866-99-TLEAF). The panel will also offer twists on traditional holiday recipes, explain how to transform leftovers into a delicious brunch and provide advice on table decor. During non-operator hours, the hotline will offer recorded advice for last-minute recipe suggestions and entertaining ideas. Call 24 hours a day to hear these tips from Nov. 17 through Nov. 23.