Thanksgiving 201: Choosing the Wine

Thanksgiving 101 involves basic menu planning and how to cook a turkey. Once you've figured out the food, it's time to tackle the next problem: what to drink with what you eat. An upcoming wine class at our Lake Oswego location will give you the answer. Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching. The menu has been planned, the guest list is set, a centerpiece chosen, and the shopping list made. But what about the wine? Thanksgiving wine pairing, while appearing to be no different than any other meal, is often a challenge. Not only is there a wide range of flavors and components to consider, but there’s also the issue of guest preferences to take into account. There are those guests that prefer red wine, and those that prefer white, regardless of what will be served. Then you have to consider seasonality, difficult ingredients, and all of the courses. One wine may not complement the entire meal, from salad to dessert.
If the mention of holiday meal wine pairing has just added one more worry to the list, take heart. Lisa Shara Hall, the resident wine expert at In Good Taste Cooking School, will teach a class at the Lake Oswego location on November 18 at 7:00 PM. The class, “Beginning Wine: Know Those Varietals”, will provide the answers to the questions that often arise when selecting a wine. What are the characteristics common to Cabernet Sauvignon? What about Merlot? What should Sauvignon Blanc taste like? How do they differ? What should you look for in each wine? How do you determine quality? Is there a way to measure it? How long should or could a wine age in bottle?
Discussion will include the major 6 classic varieties to determine what flavor profile they each fill, what is classic to each variety and the changes in flavor depending where each is grown.
This class is designed for those who love wine but have no formal training. After a few hours with Lisa, you will be able to understand wine better, and make more informed decisions about what to drink with what you eat.

The class will be held Tuesday, November 18 at 7:00 PM.

Lisa Shara Hall is the author of Wines of the Pacific Northwest (Mitchell Beazley 2001) and the co-author of The Food Lover's Companion to Portland (Chronicle Books 1996). She serves as Senior Editor for Wine Business Communications (Wine Business Monthly, Wine Business Insider and Winebusiness.com) and writes for numerous publications including the annual Hugh Johnson Pocket Guide to Wine, The Oxford Companion to Wine, The Hugh Johnson/Jancis Robinson World Atlas of Wine, and Decanter. Hall is a frequent lecturer and educator, as well as the first candidate in Oregon for the Master of Wine qualification.
For more information, please visit http://www.ingoodtastestore.com/ or call (503)248-2015.
Happy eating!

-Josie