Every since I lived in San Francisco and my friends hosted “refugee Thanksgiving” for all of us with family across the country, Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday. After all, what’s better than cooking a feast and serving it with fantastic wines?

With the holiday only three weeks away (!!!), here are some wine ideas to help you get ready for Thanksgiving dinner.

1. Bourgogne Blanc – Made exclusively from Chardonnay, Burgundian whites have great acidity and just enough richness to stand up to the Thanksgiving meal. Try a Chablis with no oak flavors, such as William Fevre Champs Royaux Chablis or one with a bit more richness, such as Domaine Michel Mâcon Villages.

2. Rosé – Bright and light, dry rosés pair fantastically with turkey and rich stuffing. Try a light one like Les Domaniers Ott, made from Syrah and Grenache, or a richer one like the Torre dei Beati Montepulciano rosé.

3. Gamay Noir – A lighter-bodied red with candied fruit flavors, Gamay Noir has great acidity to cut through rich flavors without overwhelming the lightness of turkey. Classic Gamay Noir comes from the Beaujolais region of France, and one of my favorite Cru Beaujolais is Domaine des Chers Julienas. A local Gamay from southern Oregon’s Umpqua Valley is made by Artisanal Wine Cellars and is definitely a great choice for the holiday. And let’s not forget that the Beaujolais Nouveau release is just around the corner, on November 17^th.

4. Cabernet Franc – If you’ve read any of my blogs, you’re well aware of my fondness for Cabernet Franc, especially from France’s Loire Valley. With light fruit flavors, as well as graphite and violets, it’s so complex and food friendly. Try a French one from Bourgueil, such as Domaine de la Chanteleuserie, or a local example from Ransom in the Rogue Valley.

Happy Turkey Day!

Our trip is starting to feel like a distant memory, so I thought I’d recap the remainder of it in hopes of re-living the experience.

Following our exploration of two of the famous Chenin Blanc regions, we headed to Chinon, which was just under an hour away from Amboise. There, we were in search of the famous Charles Jouget winery. We found it much more easily than anticipated, and headed into their wine cave for a memorable tasting. Starting with their Chinon Rosé, a bright and light 100% Cabernet Franc wine, we then tasted through five of their current releases of Chinon rouge, which is also 100% Cabernet Franc. We were then able to taste their Touraine whites, made from 100% Chenin Blanc. The most difficult part was making the decision about what to buy – they were all so delicious!

We then headed to our next home base, the city of Saumur, which is about an hour and a half east of Amboise. While the city was strangely void of people for its size, it was centrally located to the wine regions of Anjou-Saumur and Savennières. Arriving in Saumur before we could check into our hotel, we decided to explore the sparkling wine cave of Bouvet-Ladubay, just outside of Saumur.

We were able to take a tour, which went over the basics of the traditional Champagne method of making sparkling wine, then tasted through several of their wines. While none of the wines stood up the sparkling Chenin Blancs we had been able to taste in the Amboise area, it was interesting to see how a large company – they’re owned by United Breweries Group, which is most famous for the Indian beer Kingfisher – showcased wines of the region.

Our last full day in the Loire Valley, we decided to attempt to find Domaine des Baumard, one of my favorite Savennières producers, as well as the very highly regarded Nicholas Joly. Sadly, having decided against the GPS from the rental car company and having a terrible map of the region, we were not able to find either of these wineries. (That’s what we get for “winging it!”)

We did, however, find the lovely Château d’Epiré in the town of Savennières. And we were so happy we did! Tasting wine with the proprietor of the domaine in their winery, which was once a church (I’m guessing 1700s?), we were able to taste their 2001 Savennières, along with the current vintages and their red Cabernet Franc from Anjou. You can find their 2009 Savennières at Market of Choice Terwilliger, and may be able to find the rouge soon, as well. (We also carry Baumard’s Savennières.)

Sadly, our wine tasting excursion had come to an end, and the next day, we headed back to Paris to catch a flight to London for one last Indian dinner and a pint at a pub. It was an unforgettable trip, and fortunately, we brought back nine bottles of wine to remind us of it!

As many of you are aware, my husband and I had the great fortune to take a trip to Europe at the beginning of the month. We spent five days in London, for which the highlight was going to an Arsenal game.

My husband, Kevin, is the web editor for the British soccer team’s U.S. website, so we got the star treatment, complete with Kevin’s presentation of an award to the team captain on the pitch before the match and 17th row, mid-field seats. And, oh yeah…Arsenal won.

The second half of our trip took us to the Loire Valley of France. After renting a car and making the quick 3-hour drive from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, we arrived in Amboise. In the heart of the Touraine-Amboise region of the Loire Valley, we were in a prime wine tasting area. Our first night, we stumbled upon a wine bar/restaurant that was serving the 2005 Olga Raffault Chinon and Domaine Huet Le Mont Vouvray by the glass for only 6 Euros each, so we were quite happy.

Our first two days tasting found us exploring Vouvray and Montlouis, two small but very well known wine villages about 15 – 20 minutes outside of Amboise. This region makes only white wines from the Chenin Blanc grape. The wines range from bone dry to dessert wine, and include sparkling versions as well as still wines.

We visited Francois Chidaine’s very highly regarded wine shop in Montlouis and found my favorite Vouvray producer, Domaine Huet and had an amazing visit at Taille aux Loups. I found it quite interesting that the sweeter wines – the “Molleux” (off dry) and the “Liquoreaux” (off sweet) – are some of their most prized wines in Vouvray and Montlouis. In addition, there is quite a bit of new oak being used on Chenin Blanc in this region, which I hadn’t really tasted in the past. I was also very happy to see sparkling Chenin Blanc at every turn…mmmmm.

Happily, you can find the Domaine Huet Le Mont Vouvray and the Taille aux Loups Triple Zero (bone dry, sparkling Chenin Blanc), as well as three of Francois Chidaine’s Montlouis sur Loire wines at the Terwilliger store.

More to come…

We had an extremely slow start to summer this year, but it finally looks like we’re in full swing, and that can mean only one thing: it’s time for rosé!

I am of the opinion that rosés are a great wine for all seasons, due to their versatility and great acid. However, it’s no secret that most of the rosés in the Portland area are only available during spring and summer.

Some of my favorites have arrived, including the salmon-colored Domaines Bunan Côtes de Provence “Bélové,” with its great acidity and strawberry and melon flavors.

I still have a few bottles of the highly allocated Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé.

I’ve recently discovered the Fuedo Bordonaro “Branciforti” from Sicilia, made from Nero d’Avola and Petit Verdot, and with its rich fruits, it’s a steal for only $8.49.

I have two really interesting rosés that I discovered this year, as well. The first, from Chateau du Cros is from Bordeaux, where rosé is not a common wine. Made of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, the distinct minerality of Bordeaux really comes through.

My favorite for the time being – I bought the last case that our distributor had, so it won’t be around long – is from the Jura region of France. Made by Chateau d’Arlay, it has a distinct Asian pear flavor and a creamy finish.

Come check ‘em out!