A Sparkling Thanksgiving

I’m usually traveling for Thanksgiving visiting family and of course, local wineries. But this year, I decided to avoid the hustle and bustle of airports and enjoy a quiet dinner at home in Central Florida. Cruising the wine aisles at Whole Foods the day before, I had two requirements for my Thanksgiving wine, 1.) a sparkling wine 2.) and preferably a bottle from the other 46 states. Much to my delight, I stumbled upon two bottles that met both requirements! The first, a Blanc de Blanc from Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard in Charlottesville, Virginia (see my earlier review), followed by a Brut from Gruet Winery, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Satisfied, I left with both bottles.

After much debate, I decided to open the Kluge 2004 SP Blanc de Blanc with dinner. The methode Champenoise sparkling wine is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes and retails for $28. The medium-bodied wine proved to be the perfect accompaniment alongside the traditional Thanksgiving dinner including turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and of course, cranberry sauce. For dessert, I popped the cork on the Gruet Non-Vintage Brut. Retailing for $19.99 ($13.75 on the website), the full-bodied sparkling wine proved to be a great match with apple pie. Boasting toasty, apple flavors on the palate, the Gruet is a great choice for special occasions!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Take a break from all of the shopping this weekend and check back for my wrap up of Colorado wine country with a visit to Allis Ranch and Dithyramb Wineries. Cheers!

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