A Turkey Wine

L e Beaujolais Nouveau was invented in France, but it may be the best single match for the Thanksgiving table.

It is my personal choice since its forward fruit flavors work well with candied yams, sage dressing, raisins, cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes.

If a white wine is preferred, an off-dry Gewurztraminer is a fine alternative, but bone-dry red wines are a tough match because of the sweet dishes we generally have at the traditional Thanksgiving table.

In red wine, after Beaujolais, only Zinfandel can hope to compete with the flavors and then I’d pick one loaded with richness. Zinfandel’s raspberry-ish aroma works with some of the Thanksgiving meal, but it can also be astringent, a tough match for sweeter foods.

Gamay Beaujolais--though made from a different grape--has the cherry and strawberry flavors and the softness and quaffability of true Beaujolais, making it far more widely appealing than tart, tannic young red wine.

If you’re into Cabernet and must have it with your turkey, be forewarned: Its flavors are obliterated by cranberry sauce and yams.