Omnivore - What to drink with Thanksgiving dinner - Part III

Still at a loss for what to drink with your Thanksgiving turkey cake and cherumple on Thursday? We asked Atlanta beer, wine, and cocktail experts to share a few of their recommendations. If you're in need of some turkey-friendly, boozy inspiration, today is your lucky day.

ICYMI, this series comes to you into three parts. Part I covers beer and spirits starting with thoughtful cocktail recipes from talented barkeeps Julian Goglia (the Pinewood), Andy Minchow (Ration & Dram), and Bradford Tolleson (Restaurant Eugene). CL's resident beer guy Austin L. Ray also chipped in with three fall seasonals from Atlanta breweries that opened in 2014. Part II taps Advanced Sommelier Tim Willard, whose near-encyclopedic body of wine knowledge informs his list of T-Day wine picks. In Part III (That's this part!), wine geek extraordinaire Steven Grubbs of Empire State South has some fun sharing a lively bunch of versatile wines by way of equally lively Grubbsian prose:

• Andrew Thomas Lee
• Steven Grubbs

Steven Grubbs, Empire State South

Champagne, Henri Goutorbe, ‘Cuvee Prestige’, Brut Premier Cru, France, Non-Vintage, ($57, Little Wine Shop)

Goutorbe is serious Grower Champagne — i.e. an artisanal product made by the same folks that farmed the grapes and not some marketed concoction owned by the same brand corporation that also owns Louis Vuitton and, like, Jaguar. Hopefully your family will leave this alone (it makes mom ‘gassy’, dad wants a ‘glass of Cab’) and you’ll be able to drink it all by yourself.

Chardonnay, Jacques Puffeney, Arbois, Jura, France, 2011 ($24, Little Wine Shop)

The once-obscure wines of France’s Jura region have now become kind of standardly hip. Puffeney’s nutty, golden style will be delicious with your Butterball, but it’s still weird enough to freak out all your Republican uncles.

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Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro, Cleto Chiarli, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Non-Vintage ($16, Little Wine Shop)

Sparkling, off-dry, low-alcohol red wine eliminates the need for cranberry sauce. Legally, I can’t recommend you serve it at the kids’ table, but, well…

Zweigelt, Ecker, Wagram, Austria, 2012 ($18, Little Wine Shop)

Zweigelt is the grape here, and Ecker’s version is zippy and fresh, almost like a good Beaujolais with a small kicker of peppery spice. It should act as a lift to make you want to power through your second helping. Also, this is a one-liter bottle, so it’s kind of like you get 33 percent more free.

Nero d’Avola/Frappato, Occhipinti, ‘SP68’, Vittoria, Sicily, Italy, 2012 ($30, Little Wine Shop)

Arianna Occhipinti is a total babe with the most severe, scary eyebrows you’ve ever seen. Her wines are a similar combo of rare beauty and brusque intensity, and they’re getting harder and harder to find, so go get one, like yesterday.

Pinot Noir, Ankida Ridge, Amherst, Virginia, 2011 ($45.99, Cellar 13 Wine Merchants)

It’s about time we had something decent from eastern side of this country (the more American side) to serve upon this most American holiday. I mean, do they even celebrate Thanksgiving in California?

Note: This post has been updated since its original publication, because it didn't include an intro and it needed one, for context.