Originally posted November 18, 2010.
You can have your cake and eat it too. Actually, that phrase never made much sense to me. If you have a cake, why on earth wouldn’t you eat it? And it doesn’t make sense in the context of Thanksgiving, because everyone knows you don’t eat cake on turkey day – you eat pie! But anyway…
If you’re one of those people who grin and bear the turkey just to get to the dessert spread, than here are some wines to consider.
Emilio Hidalgo Gobernador Oloroso Sec (Jerez, Spain): Darky, nutty, with caramel notes and a bit of a salty character – this is like an adult-only piece of caramel sprinkled with very good sea salt. It’s not really the best match for pumpkin pie, but it can stand on its own as a dessert in a bottle. Price: $24.99
Eric Bordelet Sidre Doux NV 2008 (Normandy, France): This slightly sparkling, slightly sweet cider is an autumn delight. It’s made by a former Parisian sommelier who couldn’t resist the pull of the old, old apple trees on his family’s property in Normandy. Very romantic story, very yummy wine. It’s like apple pie in a bottle. Price: $13.99
Santa Julia Tardio Late Harvest Torrontes 2008 500ml (Mendoza, Argentina): Even in a dry version, Torrontes has some of the floral notes that are a bit Muscat-like, but with a bit more spice. This version is very lightly sweet – it’s actually much more versatile than a typical dessert wine. But for the purposes of Thanksgiving, pop it open at the end of the meal for a not-overly-sweet treat. Price: $14.99