Leftover Thanksgiving wine tips

Wine with Hillary: Complimenting turkey

So, this week, I would like to remind you (just like your professors, the CPC, and everyone else who likes to nag) that we are just two weeks out from Thanksgiving. Wahoo! Three extra days of weekend?and you get to spend it with your family, who will hopefully fork over some money along with the leftovers.

Wine with Hillary: An Egyptian wine dry like the desert

Hurrah for spring and with it the resurrection of the weekly wine column! I have finally returned from Egypt, where the wine industry is only just recovering from its nationalization under Nasser in the 60s. To date, there are only four major brands of wine in Egypt: Omar Khayyam, Obelisk, Grand Marquis and Cru de Ptolemees. The first three produce a red and a white varietal; Cru de Ptolemees only produces a white. Of the four brands, the best is the Grand Marquis label, which, if not exciting or delectable, is at worst very drinkable, if a bit bland. General opinion is that the whites and especially the Cru de Ptolemees are not very good. I have not imbibed the Cru de Ptolemees, but from what I hear, I would rather drink the salty desert sand. However, it is best not to dwell on the swill of the past, and instead let me move onto the wine I tried last night.

Wine with Hillary

This piece represents the opinion of the author:

November 19, 2004

Welcome to part two of the Thanksgiving wine extravaganza. This week we cover some more wines that should be good for Thanksgiving dinner. I would like to point out that these wines cost less than the average bake-shop pie and that it takes less time to uncork a bottle of wine than it does to make even the simplest of side dishes. So, for the student with three papers to write over the break (and I think that's almost everyone I know) this is the most minimal way to be a part of creating a fabulous Thanksgiving.

Some families do not drink wine with their dinner and for the life of me, I cannot understand why. A good wine will compliment the food, and with some crackers and cheese, it can easily keep the family satisfied until dinner is ready. And, if the worst should happen, if you keep pouring the wine, it should help soften the blow of a very KFC Thanksgiving.

1. Kanu 2003 Sauvignon Blanc

This is a marvelous wine from South Africa. My tasters and I found the wine to be very mellow; one taster said it was so mellow it was uneventful. It had a nice dryness to it, and we think it would go well with side dishes but probably not turkey. $10.99 at NH State Liquor Store 95 Northbound.

2. Smoking Loon 2002 Merlot

This merlot was rather good, although we had some problems opening it with our overly technical super corkscrew. It was very sweet, fruity, a little bit cloying, but still good for a glass or two. I feel that it would be good with savory pies such as pecan, or it could easily be drunk if you happen to do barbecue and not turkey. Free for us because my roomie's mom sent it up.

3. Barefoot Chardonnay

I bought this because it had a footprint on it and didn't expect it to taste very good; but happily, I was quite mistaken in the matter. My tasters found it to be very smooth and flavorful for a white. It has a somewhat nutty flavor with a buttery texture in your mouth. This would be a perfect wine for a fish course at Italian Thanksgiving and my tasters enjoyed it so much that they say they'd keep it in the kitchen with them to drink while preparing the food. An excellent wine and at this price you can buy two?one for the folks watching football and one for the people cooking. $7.99 at Warmings. I remind our readers that Warmings requires Maine State ID, no exceptions.

4. Casa Solar 2002 Plata

A wonderful red wine from Spain, it goes amazingly well with mashed potatoes and gravy. One of the tasters said "it feels like it's making more room in my stomach, now I can eat more." It works very well both with the food and as a palate cleanser, although my tasters preferred their second glass with food and not alone. $7.99 at Warmings.

I wish all my readers a Happy Thanksgiving and remind them to please not drink and drive.

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