I am sure you All know that Italy is the world’s largest wine producer, that’s my country! It’s also the king of food-friendly wines, making its bottling a natural choice to pair with Thanksgiving dinner. Following are some Italy wine parings for your Thanksgiving. 

The fine bubbly bite of a sparkling wine makes any event more lively and special: serve a flute or two as a starter as guests are arriving — or at the table;  Prosecco’s green apple and pear sensations combine with crisp acidity to make it the quintessential before-dinner drink; it even works well with light appetizers.

Though the standby white wine for many is Chardonnay, generally, the oakines and intensity of most Chardonnays is not ideal for the Thanksgiving feast. Consider instead white wines that are refreshing, tangy, and fruity, such as Pinot Grigio from northern Italy’s Alto Adige; it has white floral aromas, crisp green apple, pear and steely mineral flavors that are brightened by refreshing acidity and will perfectly pair. Or an intense Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi from central Italy’s Marche region, with its boasting aromas and flavors of yellow wild flower, beeswax, peach and apricot, gains even more complexity with modest aging and will give your traditional Menu an interesting twist.

And YES!  you can serve red wine with turkey breast. You may not want to serve Cabernet because it is generally too tart and high in tannin to match well with the mostly white meet, but you can serve a lighter red. Vibrant, delicious reds that scream out for food are a hallmark of Italian wines, especially those made with native grapes. A number will pair beautifully with a traditional turkey dinner, thanks to their food-friendly acidity. Barbera d’Asti from Piedmont sports juicy black cherry and ground pepper flavors, racy acidity and silky tannin, and Sangiovese from Tuscany is celebrated as one of Italy’s most food-friendly wines, like Chianti Classico and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

It can’t be Thanksgiving without a slice of apple pie, and a silky, refreshing Moscato Rosa, with its red berry, candied orange zest and sweet cake flavors, will bring out the pie’s baked apple and cinnamon sensations. If you’re going for pumpkin pie, try a rich, nutty Vin Santo, which pairs well with the pie’s spicy notes, while the wine’s acidity balances out its richness.

Well, now I am eager to open my chilling Prosecco and can’t wait till tomorrow…Cin Cin!!!