Your Holiday Wine Guide from Connecticut Wine Country

November 17, 2022

Finding the perfect Thanksgiving wines

You wouldn’t settle for just one course for your Thanksgiving dinner. So why limit your selection of wines? 

Having at least three different options available will let you have the perfect wine for every part of the occasion. The farm wineries and vineyards in Connecticut Wine Country have plenty of options to choose from.

A glass of white wine is an excellent way to greet your guests while meal preparations are underway. For the dinner itself, light- or medium-bodied wines are preferable to full-bodied ones, which can compete with the rich flavors of the dinner. LaCrescent, Cayuga, and Frontenac are all options that work well with your Thanksgiving spread.

When it’s time to bring out dessert, offer a sweeter option. Pop the cork on a bottle of Riesling, ice wine, or port to close out the feast.

Pairing wine with the right gift

A bottle of wine from a Connecticut winery makes an excellent present for the holidays. Consider one of these gifts as well for a perfect pairing.

Stemware

Does your loved one’s collection of wine glasses need some refreshing? Give them a new set of stemware so they can enjoy their wine in style.

Corkscrew

Wine isn’t such a great gift if there isn’t a good way to open it. Throw in a higher quality corkscrew, and you’ll be able to pop the top right away.

Apparel

Many wineries in Connecticut Wine Country offer shirts, hats, and other apparel at their tasting rooms. If your loved one is a particularly devoted fan of a venue, pick up a piece of clothing when you purchase your wine.

Winery membership

Have that bottle of wine be the start of a closer relationship with a favorite vineyard. Several venues offer wine clubs, where members regularly receive the latest varietals.

Adopt-A-Vine enrollment

Enroll a loved one in an Adopt-A-Vine program, which not only helps support the growth of a farm winery but offers special perks such as a vineyard tour when you come to pick up your bottle of wine.  

Chocolate

Invite your loved one to indulge themselves with a bar or two of delicious chocolate. Use dark chocolate if you bought a full-bodied wine or milk chocolate if you made a lighter selection.

Gift Certificate

Add a gift certificate to encourage a tasting room experience, attendance at a special event at the winery, or to restock their collection at home.

Get on board with charcuterie

Charcuterie is a perfect way to wow a crowd ahead of your Thanksgiving dinner, serve your guests at a Christmas party, or simply enjoy a light snack while sipping on wine.

The typical charcuterie board includes a selection of cured meats and cheeses, but there are endless ways to feature other small bites as well. These might include olives, dried fruits, nuts, crackers, and a selection of dips and spreads.

When pairing charcuterie with wine, it’s best to go for a balanced option that can complement the array of flavors. Chardonnay, Merlot, Frontenac Gris, and Pinot Noir all work well for this purpose.

Your selection can also be influenced by what’s on the board. Spicier options will demand a more full-bodied wine, while lighter fare can be paired with a mild option.

Mull your options

Many of the vineyards on the Connecticut Wine Trail have active orchards that produced a bounty of apples this year, and others partnered with local farms at harvest time. The result is an array of tasty apple wines!

Apple wines pair perfectly with salads with crumbled blue cheese, dessert boards piled with chocolate and salted and roasted nuts, or a steaming crock of chicken and dumplings. 

With the colder weather comes mulled wine, prepared warm with spices and ingredients like honey, brandy, and orange. It’s the perfect way to relax and stay toasty at the end of the day.

And while the sun has set on rosé season, you can still pick up a bottle or two of this summer favorite, to tide you over until the long warm days of spring return.