Best French Wines for Thanksgiving

22 Nov Best French Wines for Thanksgiving

I’m a wine guy. And to celebrate the holiday season, we’re taking our colleagues and business partners on a virtual trip to France. As you prepare for the holidays at your home and business, we thought you might be interested in adding a new twist to your Thanksgiving spread. Come with us as we take a stroll through the local wine store’s France section.

Each year on the Tuesday of Thanksgiving week, Axiom hosts a themed wine tasting attended by 200+ wine loving friends, colleagues and business partners. In preparation, our team has tasted 107 different French wines from Bourgogne, Bordeaux, Cotes du Rhone, Loire, Champagne, Languedoc, and Medoc French wine regions.

In years past, I’ve typically avoided the France aisle because of high cost and because it’s hard to find big busty reds and high-flavor whites. My wine-loving friends have long claimed that when it comes to French wines my pallet has been terminally infected by terrors from California’s Sonoma and Napa Valleys, Australia’s Barossa Valley and Argentina’s Uco Valley.

That said, my “winey” pals strongly encouraged me to challenge any anti-Francophile wine tendencies at Axiom’s 16th annual wine tasting event.

What did we find? A wide variety of delicious wines that are well priced. Below are some of our more interesting picks that are guaranteed to delight even the most discriminating Thanksgiving pallets.

Whites

• Vouvray – Vouvray is region in the Loire Valley that makes some really tasty whites from the Chenin Blanc grape. It’s high in acid and can be made in a variety of styles from dry to highly sweet. My personal favorite are ones with a little sparkle. Check out La Cheteau Vouvray. At $6.99 a bottle, it’s a steal.

• Muscadet – Muscadet is another interesting wine from the Loire Valley that’s a nice switch from Sauvignon Blancs. Made with Melon de Bourgogne grapes, it’s a dry, light-bodied wine that makes for interesting food pairings due to its minerality and citrus qualities.

Reds

• Cotes du Rhone – If you’re looking for an alternative to blasé Beaujolais varieties, these wines are well worth a try. A particular standout is one produced by Caves du Fournalet. Concocted with a sensuous blend of Syrah and Grenache grapes, this wine will pair perfectly with your Thanksgiving turkey.

• Red Blends – Few nations are better at red blends than France. I particularly enjoy blends from Languedoc-Roussillon because of their unique flavors. One interesting blend is Pontificus GSM made from Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre grapes. This wine is a sure winner that pairs well with meats, marinated game and cheeses. You can’t go wrong at $7.99 per bottle.

• Emilion – What’s not to like about St. Emilion wines, except the price? I’m pleased to report, I found two wonderful St. Emilions for under less than $20. St. Emilion is a Bordeaux appellation that strikes me as similar to a restrained Sonoma Zinfandel. Both wines have a wonderful blend of some sweetness, tannins and acidity. Chateau Le Grand Faurie and Chateau Roudier are two standouts that taste like they’re $70 wines.

• F – No, the F is not an expletive. It is one of the excellent wines that California winemaker Dave Phinney (aka Orin Swift wines) makes in France and for his Locations series collection. Phinney collects grapes from Bordeaux, Rhone and Rousillon wine regions and makes one of the most interesting French wines we tasted out of the entire 107. Pair this wine with lamb or beef and it’s sure to please. Better yet, at $17.99 per bottle, it won’t break the bank.

Enjoy the best of family and friends this holiday season. A bientot!

For more information, email mreiber@axiomcom.com.