11/13/07 Traditional Wine

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran and with Thanksgiving and the rest of the holidays just around the corner, I have begun thinking about the foods we eat and the wines we drink at this time of year. And it brought to mind the question When it comes to wine what is traditional? When I begin discussing with my friends what were their traditional holiday meals I realize that there are probably just as many traditions as there are families. Although the ingredients for dishes may sound similar I begin to realize the preparations can differ greatly. For example my friend Chef Big John does his yams sort au gratin with goat cheese  Yum! While another friend whips her yams with butternut squash and butter. To both of them it is simply tradition. And I even know a family that doesn't like turkey so they have prime rib on Thanksgiving and another one that cooks a big king salmon. After all it is tradition. I began asking if any of them drink any special wines as "tradition". I was met with just as many different answers and I began to think it may not be possible to identify a traditional Thanksgiving wine. What I can say is that Rose, Riesling and Beaujolais all seem to go great with turkey cooked in the tradition of sage dressings  if anyone even does that anymore. I like Merlot with prime rib and Pinot Noir with salmon. And for some reason I like Syrah with leftovers! I can't help it leftovers do taste different. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.