Thanksgiving Dinner and a pinot noir wine review

Since my boys are into cooking, I decided to cook Thanksgiving dinner this year.  Normally, I just get a ready made meal and reheat it in the oven.  I must say, I even impressed myself.

I roasted a turkey with a fresh sage butter and made a traditional stuffing with fresh herbs and cranberries.  I also went with a couple of standbys:  garlic mashed potatoes and the ever traditional green bean casserole.  The meal was finished with a fresh herb gravy and homemade wheat rolls.  I really enjoyed the meal and everything was good, except for the rolls.  Yesterday was one of those days that I wished I had two ovens.  Things were taking longer to cook and the rolls got completely overdone. 

Now, onto the wine review.  First, I have to say I'm a red wine kind of girl.  It was just my husband and kids, so I picked a wine that I wanted.  (Hubby is indifferent on the whole wine scene.)  While I'm sure many of you enjoy a white wine with your turkey dinner, I prefer a pinot noir.  At least for me, it's a great companion to the heaver sauces and side dishes that typically accompany a Thanksgiving dinner. 

One of my little indulgences is wine.  I belong to a monthly wine club of Oregon pinot noir wines and had been saving the 2008 Acrobat pinot noir for this occasion.  Pinot noirs are not for the faint of heart.  There can be a wide range of flavors in this variety, but that's part of the fun for me.  This one has to go down as one of my favorites.  There is a lot of "berry" taste to this wine.  Blueberry, blackberry, and a touch of strawberry immediately hit you.  Maybe a hint of vanilla??  It is a medium bodied wine and had a quick, smooth finish on the palate.  I know part of why I really liked this one is that it paired very well with the cranberries in the dressing.  It also went well with the gouda cheese we had as an appetizer.  Overall, a thumbs up and I would be happy to enjoy this red wine again.

My little indulgence

Everyone has something they like to indulge themselves on from time to time.  For me, it's wine.  I love the artistry of flavors and textures of the wine.  My love of wine also pairs up with my interest in food and cooking quite nicely.  (Yes, I know it's supposed to work that way.)

I didn't start drinking wine "seriously" until about 10 years ago.  Since then, my tastes have changed, but overall, I enjoy a large majority of the wines out there.

While enjoying the season finale of LOST Sunday night, I opened a bottle of pinot noir from Cottonwood winery in Oregon.  For those of you who aren't wine drinkers, I wouldn't suggest starting with a pinot noir.  It's an acquired taste as they tend to be quite dry.  This one was a good one.  It started out light on my tongue, but as I was thinking to myself that it was lacking in body, it had a nice strong finish.  The more it breathed (open to the air), the more I liked it.  (Tasting notes for you wine enthusiasts:  moderately peppery, slight hint of jam and berry.  I would expect this wine to get better with age.)  Looking forward to enjoying another class tonight.