Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday.

The core of the day is to give thanks for that which we have, a notion too often lost in the light speed world we live in today. How many times a day do we wish for something better or complain “only if”. We all do it, some with more vigor and venom than others. Our uniquely American holiday serves to remind us to be thankful for what we have, something so easily overlooked when we have more than 90% (or higher?) of the world. Imagine living somewhere with no fresh water or sanitation. Imagine not having money in your pocket or bank account. Imagine living somewhere where you are cast aside or not even looked at because of poor circumstance (and choices…I do understand some folks make bad decisions, but that makes them no less worthy of our assistance).

Even within our own country there are those who live with less in a year than some consume in a day. While I could rant and rave, it does no good. I’ll just say I’m thankful for what I have in my life and that whatever bounty may come my way, I’ll always share it with others, be they friend, family or stranger. One can never lend a helping hand often enough.

Our dinner was fairly classic, making it comforting in addition to being delicious. Our 20 lb turkey was brined overnight, a mixture of apple cider, sea salt, dried apples, juniper berries, lemon peel, star anise, garlic, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, onion and bay leaf. We bought it at Williams-Sonoma. The bird was perfectly moist, with that often elusive perfect crispiness to the skin (which I did avoid eating, though I really wanted some).

Sides were roasted acorn squash and sweet potatoes, which had been coated with butter, salt, pepper, dark brown sugar, allspice and ginger. To fulfill the obligatory cranberry slot, we had cranberry salad, which consisted of black cherry jello, mandarin orange pieces, crushed pineapples and whole berry cranberry sauce. The dressing was a mix of artisan sourdough, dried cranberries, caramelized onions and celery. Rounding out the menu were yukon gold mashed potatoes (sans skin to satisfy the kids), yeast rolls and a broccoli casserole provided by our guests. Finally, we had the gravy. I don’t know how my wife does it, but this stuff is beyond good. So good I told her I’d eat burlap sack if had the gravy on it.

Everything was magnificent and while we had some outstanding wines, it was the overall experience of the dinner that made it so enjoyable. Excellent company combined with delicious home cooked food makes for my favorite experience, especially when our commute to bed was just a few steps away. Here is a roundup of the wines, which turned out different than what was planned the night before for those who saw the picture I posted via Twitter:

Schramsberg Mirabelle Brut Rose, 2007 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, 2003 Kilikanoon Oracle Shiraz, 1995 Disznoko 5 Puttonyos Tokaji Aszu

Schramsberg Mirabelle Brut Rosé ($23.99 at Bottoms Up Beverages): One of the finest domestic rosés currently available on the market, this made the perfect beginning to the meal. It was lively and filled with red raspberry, yeast and spicy character. It was packed with flavor and was a brilliant aperitif to the bountiful meal we were about to enjoy.

2007 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($52 from the winery): We received our first allocation of Kosta Browne in the 2007 vintage, taking 2 bottles each of the Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs. This is an intense wine, but in no way out of balance. Burgundy lovers or those who prefer the more delicate, finesse oriented expressions of Pinot will not like this style of wine. It was rich and intense, but had enough acidity and some soft tannins to keep it from being fat and flabby. It was like drinking a black cherry liqueur with some black raspberries and allspice blended in. It was juicy, smooth and very easy to drink. We didn’t decant this for very long and that is a mistake we won’t repeat the next time.

2003 Kilikanoon Oracle Shiraz ($70 or so…I don’t remember exactly): I was introduced to this producer when I first started learning about wine. I’ve always found their use of used oak and larger 300-liter hogsheads to be a greater condition for allowing the fruit to really shine. This wine hails from the Clare Valley, a region better known for producing excellent Rieslings than Shiraz. The higher elevations (1300 to 1600 feet above sea level) means cooler evenings, moderating the warm summer days and allowing for more even ripening and preservation of acidity. This wine was decanted for about 5 hours before consuming, as we drank it between finishing dinner and having dessert. It had ripe (but not raisiny) black fruit flavors, with black olive, tar and licorice intermixed. It was intensely concentrated, but in no way heavy or syrupy as one might expect. Too bad we don’t have more of this, but we still have a bottle of 2004 to look forward to. I think we’ll sit on that one longer and see where it goes.

1995 Disznókő 5 Puttonyos Tokaji Aszú ($39.99 when I bought it several years ago): I love this style of wine and since our guests were fellow dessert wine drinkers (my wife will take a sip, but doesn’t care for them), I took the opportunity to open and consume this nectar. If you’ve never had this style of wine, I highly recommend you seek it out and try one. At one time, these were the most sought after wines in all of Europe, having become rather unknown during the years of Communist rule. You won’t find many options here in GA, but you will find them. If you are a blue cheese lover, try one of these and you’ll be in gastro-heaven. This wine was full of orange peel, apricot and honey, with loads of sugar that is masked by intense amounts of acidity. The balance of sugar and acid is what makes this wine so magical for me, not to mention how well they go with my favorite blue cheese in the world, Roaring Forties from Australia. I paired this with my wife’s World’s Most Expensive Pumpkin Pie topped with fresh whip cream and it was awesome. I can’t wait for round two tonight. [SIDE NOTE: Wine Spectator gave this a drinking window through 2005 and it is still drinking fine today, just so you know.]

Overall, I’d put all of these wines in the outstanding category.

Beyond the pumpkin pie, there was also a bourbon-pecan pie and chess pie. For those unfamiliar with chess pie, it is basically brown sugar, cream, eggs and vanilla. The kids go crazy for it and our guests seemed to enjoy it as well.

Well, that about does it for this year’s festivities. I hope you and yours enjoyed similarly delectable delights and enjoyed the day with family and or friends. I for one am very thankful for the day and try to keep the sentiment going, giving daily thanks for everything I have and hold close to my heart.

Have a great weekend and if you like what I’m doing, please leave comments, email me and share with your friends.

Cheers!

Another gift of wine from a premium producer in the KJ family. I have very fond memories of the 2005 vintage of this wine. I had it in January of 2007, a couple of months before I took over as wine buyer when I was in the biz.

It was an awesome bottle, plush and loaded with penetrating fruit flavors and this amazing melange of Asian spices that was intoxicating as smelling your lover’s perfume. After I took over, this was one of the first wines I put on the shelves. It was only 6 bottles and I just wanted to have something in that price point that I really liked. I felt I actually “knew” something when it was rated 96 points a month later by Wine Enthusiast, though I’ve come to learn that didn’t really mean much more than Steve Heimoff and I happened to both really dig the wine.

Fast forward 2 1/2 years and I was given this bottle as a gift, something for which I’m grateful since I wouldn’t be buying wines in this price range unless there was something really special about it. This wine will run you somewhere around $45-50 if you can find it.

Aromas: This wasn’t nearly as interesting as the 2005, with more straight forward and expected notes of black cherry, cranberry and some spice.

Palate: It was a bit lacking in depth compared to the 05, with good flavor that was worthy of something about half the price. As it warmed up, the alcohol became apparent and a left a bit of burn on the finish. I’d say it is a good wine, but at this price point, I would expect more.

The saving grace of it all was what we ate with it, which was my wife’s rendition of Julia Child’s classic boeuf bourguignon.

This was an amazing dish, with a richness and depth of flavor that prohibited you from overindulging, all the while begging you to do so. The meat literally melted in your mouth and all you wanted to do was let it sit there, the aromas and flavors taking me to a country home in the south of France on a cold winter’s eve. There you are, sitting in the kitchen next to an open fire and taking in the aromas of the meal to come. You sit down with a bottle of wine, a loaf of bread and when the bowl in front of you releases its aromatic treasures, you just want to sit there and take it all in. Meals like this are special because they don’t require expensive ingredients, just patience, passion and love. This had all that and more. We decided on a few alterations to the classic recipe for the next time, but for now, it was so yummy I’m actually drooling at the memory of how delicious it was. Kudos to my wife!

Okay, back to the wine.

Final word: As I mentioned above, it was good, but not $45 – $50 good, which really pains me because this is the first time I’ve ever been disappointed with a wine from Hartford Court. I won’t give up on them and will be on the keen lookout for the 2007s, which should be amazing. They aren’t the easiest things in the world to find, so if you are really interested, check with your local wine shop.