The Other 46

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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