Pre-Thanksgiving Wine Pairing: Cinsault Paired with Creamed Spinach & Mushrooms

Simple, light, uncomplicated and elegant is just what you want in a Thanksgiving wine. With all sorts of aromas, flavors, and textures you need a wine that lets the food be the star.

The Wine

Spann Vineyards, Cinsault, Sonoma Valley, 2012    

When I tasted this wine I knew it is one of the most food friendly wines I have ever had. Very subtle aromas of wild strawberry, plum and a note of oak mingle in the bouquet of this wine. Light in body much like a Pinot Noir, or Gamy, the wine has delicate flavors of strawberry, and rhubarb complemented by a very subtle clove like spice and a touch of dried thyme. The light fresh aromas and flavors are introduced to the palate with very fine tannins that are almost silky in texture. Pleasingly light in alcohol with only 11.2%, it’s easy to enjoy more than just one glass, perfect for a Thanksgiving feast. Only eight barrels, (198 cases) of this easy to drink wine were made, and some of it will be on my sideboard this thanksgiving. I suggest serving this wine with a very slight chill.  

It’s time to start thinking about Thanksgiving and what you’re going to serve This year all I have to do is vegetables. Here is one of the dishes I’ll be preparing its classic and the wine works all most every dish you can think of.

The Pairing

Creamed Spinach with Mushrooms in a White Wine Sauce

What you will need:  

20 oz. fresh baby spinach

1 lb. cremini mushrooms

2-4 Tbsp. sideboard vegetable oil for cooking

4 garlic cloves

1/2 cup white wine,1 cup heavy whipping cream

Salt and fresh cracked black pepper

How to make it:

Preheat a large cooking pan over medium heat and add oil. Chop spinach and slice mushrooms. Add mushrooms and spinach into the cooking pan. Season with some salt and pepper, cover and cook until spinach is a little more than half way cooked down, stir occasionally. Take off the lid and continue cooking until spinach is all wilted. Peel garlic cloves and smash them with your knife (be careful or use a metal spatula to smash it). Add garlic to spinach and mushrooms and mix well. Add white wine and simmer for a few minutes.

Add heavy cream, taste and add more salt as needed. Simmer for about 5 minutes serves about 10

Adapted from Lyuba Brooke, willcookforsmiles.com

Cheers, The Wine Guys

Great WIne's for Drinking this Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!   

The Wine Guys are here to help you with a broad selection of wine, beer, and spirits to chose from this Holiday season. Below are four wines that will pair well with a broad range of Thanksgiving foods and individual tastes.

MacMurray, Estate Vineyards, Select, Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir, 2013

This MacMurray Pino Noir was produced by blending fruit from four  vineyards in the Russian River Valley; creating a beautiful ruby colored wine with enticing aromas of raspberry, boysenberry and subtle  wood spice. After the wine fermented, it was aged sur lie, creating a round, soft mouth feel. Further complexity comes from ageing in new and used barrels, adding aromas and flavors of vanilla, caramel and toasted nuts to flavors of cherry and pomegranate. With balanced acidity and a lingering finish, this wine will enhance most foods and pair very well with the diverse foods you may have at the thanksgiving feast.

Peter Schandl - Pinot Blanc 2011

If you are a looking for a dry yet fruit driven wine, explore this great alternative to Riesling.  This wine has a pale golden color with classic aromas of yellow apple, pineapple delicate pear blossom, and a soft river stone note. Flavors of apple, pear and kiwi wind together in this medium/light bodied wine that has a rich, lush mouth feel. Just enough acid and bottle ageing make this wine very approachable and easy to pair with classic Thanksgiving food. 

Sobon Estate Hillside Zinfandel 2013 Amador County, CA

Made from estate grown hillside grapes this great tasting wine is made from 98% Zinfandel, 2% Petite Syrah, aged in French and American oak, creating a pretty bouquet of raspberry, cherry and a touch of oak. Medium to medium light in body with flavors of dark cherry, blueberry, spice, and cocoa, with a soft peppery finish. Low in tannin and very approachable, it’s easy to enjoy on its own, but marries well with savory or sweet stuffing and will do wonders with some dark meat drenched in gravy. 89 and Best Buy WE

Schramsberg's Blanc de Blanc 2012

This Blanc de Blanc is made from 100% chardonnay, produced in the classic “methode champenoise” (The traditional method used in Champagne) over a period of about three plus years. Made from cool-climate Sonoma County, Marin and other North Coast fruit, this dry crisp bubbly has bright and fresh aromas of grapefruit, lime, green apple and white apricot, complemented with hints of yeast and white blossoms ginger and fresh honeycomb. The flavors are of tart apple, citrus and, pear that open and expand on the pallet, then seamlessly lead to a crisp clean finish. There is no better time to enjoy the complements and contrasts of a great sparkling wine than a Thanksgiving meal.