Red: Graziano Mendocino Zinfandel
Zinfandel is an often overlooked varietal when it comes to mealtime. The combination of acid, alcohol, and spicy fruit can cut through the driest of grandma’s turkey.
Cranberry sauce? Why, when you have Graziano's Zin ($15.99 at Princeton’s)? Not only does it have all the savory fruit, but also has the added benefit of alcohol, which will surely help with those holiday “family functions.”
One will find notes of blackberry, strawberry and fig on the nose. In the mouth, the same fruits apply, with the addition of a jammy characteristic of raspberry and cranberry.
White: Girasole Vineyards Muscat Canelli
So, Grandma is not a red wine drinker? One of the new trends in white wine is Muscat Canelli (aka Moscato Canelli). It typically has a sweet pear backbone and often a slight amount of frizzante (a slight sparkle).
This white grape is easily one of the new up-and-comers in the world of wine. The light body and slight sweetness should make Moscato ($13.99 at Princeton’s) the wine you reach for the next time someone says “Grab a sweeter wine, but I don't want it too sweet.”
Whether it’s for pre-dinner, matching with turkey, or after dinner, Moscato is a wine for all occasions. –Bill Princeton, manager of Priceton’s Liquor in Maple Grove.
