Wine of the week

Thomas Fogarty, Gewurztraminer, Monterey County (California), 2007, $15

Here’s a good white wine to serve at next week’s feast - I’ll offer a red suggestion next week.

When getting ready for the big day, remember that a traditional Thanksgiving meal includes a melange of dishes. No one wine can go perfectly with everything on the table. Don’t worry. So long as the wines you choose have enough weight or body not to be overwhelmed by the food, they’ll work fine.

Gewurztraminer is a varietal that typically displays a fairly rich, almost viscous texture. Its aromas and flavors tend to be floral and exotic, with notes that resemble rose petals and lychee fruit, so it can add an exciting new note to your holiday celebration. Even when made in a dry style, Gewurztraminer has the added advantage of always tasting at least faintly sweet. That makes it an especially good Thanksgiving choice, given the sweet note in such dishes as baked yams, creamed onions, corn-bread stuffing and, of course, cranberry jelly or sauce.

I’m a firm believer in drinking American wines at our country’s national feast. At the same time, I recognize that it can be difficult finding first-rate domestic Gewurztraminer. Imports, particularly those from Alsace in France, usually offer superior quality, but here’s an exception to that general rule. The Fogarty is vibrant and exuberant, yet well-balanced and harmonious, and well worth lifting in a toast of thanks and good cheer.