‘Tis the season for wine-drinking! Polish your glasses and prep your pairings—but whatever you do, do not be the turkey who forgets the WINE this Thanksgiving. We sat down with our Director of Sommology, Missa Capozzo, and asked her your top questions about serving wine at Thanksgiving. From which glasses to use to how much wine to buy, Missa will help you be the host with the most this holiday. Let’s talk wine!
I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year and serving both red wine and white wine. Does the style of the glass matter when it comes to serving a red versus serving a white?
There are many different schools of thought on glass shape for different varietals. Generally speaking, red wines tend to be bolder than whites and are often served in wine glasses with larger bowls. This allows the wine a greater air surface that lends to greater oxidation, which will assist the aromatic effect. White wine glasses, on the other hand, have a more narrow, u-shaped bowl that assists in holding in the delicate aromas and maintaining a white’s cooler temperature for a longer period of time. Stemware is designed to be held at the stem to maintain the temperature of both reds and whites! So, yes, different glass shapes for different varietals can make a noticeable difference, but you can certainly enjoy all different wines with your favorite go-to glass.
We have 20 people coming for Thanksgiving, and they’re all wine lovers! Help—how much wine do I need?
A standard sized bottle of wine contains 25 ounces of wine. A glass of wine is considered a five-ounce pour, giving you five servings per bottle. The general rule of thumb is one five-ounce glass per guest per hour. Of course, it’s always good to have an extra bottle or two on hand!
Host your own in-home wine tasting this holiday season with a Traveling Vineyard Wine Guide. It’s a world tour of wine you will not forget!
I’m on wine duty this holiday. Our whole family loves red wine, and I’d like to WOW them. What are your top picks for Thanksgiving dinner?
My favorite picks for this Thanksgiving are our 2016 Tria Reserve Mourvèdre Syrah, and our 2016 LUXX Paso Robles Merlot. I love to serve our premium selections at the holidays—both Tria Reserve and LUXX will lend rich fruit flavors and a velvety texture on the palate, truly rounding out a fabulous home-cooked holiday dinner. And, you can’t go wrong with our 5 String, Partner’s Reserve, Petite Sirah. If you want to surprise your guests with something unexpected, pair your turkey with rosé, this gorgeous pink wine is also a perfect pairing for a Thanksgiving feast!
Stop by our Facebook page or our Twitter page to pose your wine question! She will be back in December to tackle more timely wine wisdom.