Zinfandel - T-day Recs Please

[DBdude]

stag's leap petite sirah

better than a zin

[guroo270]

...if you can find it. Shit sells out fast. $18-25.

[zion zig zag]

Agreed.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Isn't Zin a little much for turkey dinner? I would think a nice pinot noir or cab franc would pair better with Thanksgiving offerings.

[whitekingsalmon]

It's all about the red wine

[plugboots]

Isn't Zin a little much for turkey dinner? I would think a nice pinot noir or cab franc would pair better with Thanksgiving offerings.

Exactly. Or really KQ, you're in Walla Walla, why would you drink a Zin at all? I mean I love Zin but they don't grow it anywhere near where you are. I get the American holiday/American grape thing, but again, you're in Walla Walla.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

It's all about the red wine

Pinot noir and cab franc are reds.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Exactly. Or really KQ, you're in Walla Walla, why would you drink a Zin at all? I mean I love Zin but they don't grow it anywhere near where you are. I get the American holiday/American grape thing, but again, you're in Walla Walla.

Zin(primitivo) isn't American, it's one of the oldest varietals around from the old world.

[KQ]

Exactly. Or really KQ, you're in Walla Walla, why would you drink a Zin at all? I mean I love Zin but they don't grow it anywhere near where you are. I get the American holiday/American grape thing, but again, you're in Walla Walla.

Zin is a suggested wine for turkey and yeah, we've got our own here but once in a while I like to branch out and try something different. I bar-b-que my turkey in a Maple, Mustard Glaze with a very spicy brine (star anise, ginger, peppercorns) so I want something a little fuller but not too overwhelming:

Zinfandel: A fuller bodied red wine that ups the intensity from a Pinot Noir, but still maintains a balancing effect on many traditional Thanksgiving side dishes. This would be a great wine pick for those looking for a heartier red wine with the capacity to accommodate spice, bitter and sweet flavor profiles.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Zin is a suggested wine for turkey and yeah, we've got our own here but once in a while I like to branch out and try something different. I bar-b-que my turkey in a Maple, Mustard Glaze with a very spicy brine (star anise, ginger, peppercorns) so I want something a little fuller but not too overwhelming:

I'm not saying Zin would be a bad choice, I would drink it with Thanksgiving dinner, but I have usually tried a lighter red. Pinot Noir usually tops the list of most list for wine on Thanksgiving. I'm a big fan of Zin btw, probably one of my favorite reds. I really like Gnarlyhead old vine Zin for a great bargain.

[irul&ublo]

Zin(primitivo) isn't American, it's one of the oldest varietals around from the old world.

Some dispute on that. Both come from a Croatian grape. But here's the difference...most of the Italian primitivo available is jug wine at best.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[Tippster]

Nothing wrong with Zin for that BBQ turkey.

Our go to red for T-day is Cru Beaujolais (Gamay is the grape varietal.) This year it's 2014 Georges Duboeuf - Morgon Belles Grives. Delicious and $12/btl. Then again we are still making the Hazelnut & Prosciutto bird KQ linked the recipe to 10 years ago.

White wine this year is a 2014 Château du Cros - Bordeaux Blanc.

Turley for Turkey...

Again, that's where my "What's your budget" question was based on. No better Zin (IMHO) than Turley or the higher end Ridge offerings, but not everyone has $50 to spend on a bottle or ten.

[KQ]

Then again we are still making the Hazelnut & Prosciutto bird KQ linked the recipe to 10 years ago.

That's awesome - so happy to contribute. LOL!!

I remember that there was a citrus chipotle recipe that I linked too. Someone here tried it out and declared it awesome. I'm going to have to branch out but I've got at least one more year of the Maple Mustard Bird.

Again, that's where my "What's your budget" question was based on. No better Zin (IMHO) than Turley or the higher end Ridge offerings, but not everyone has $50 to spend on a bottle or ten.

Sky's the limit baby! It's T-day!

[riser4]

I usually go for Chianti depending on the apps and, hey Gargoyle, bring me another bottle of that Fuzzy Pussy (mad props to Cheech Marin) for the turkey. Seriously. But I'm weird.

[54-46]

Well then, based on recent tastings...

2012 Mazocco Seaton or Warm Springs Reserve

2012 Turley Pesenti
see: https://m.wine.com/product/turley-pe...el-2012/137408

(Any year) Ridge Lytton Springs

2012 Limerick Lane 1023 or 1910 Block
see: http://www.winespectator.com/blogs/show/id/51150

[KQ]

This it the Citrus Chipotle recipe:



CITRUS-GLAZED TURKEY WITH CHIPOTLE GRAVY

Ingredients

Glaze
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup honey
3 tablespoons (packed) grated orange peel
3 tablespoons (packed) grated lime peel (from about 12 limes)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
4 teaspoons chopped canned chipotle chilies*
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt

Turkey
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
4 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 22- to 24-pound turkey; neck, gizzard, and heart reserved
2 cups chopped peeled carrots
2 cups chopped celery with leaves
1 1/2 cups chopped plum tomatoes
9 cups (about) canned low-salt chicken broth

Gravy
1 cup (about) canned low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup all purpose flour

Preparation

For glaze:
Melt butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Stir in next 7 ingredients. Freeze until mixture begins to firm up but is still spreadable, about 30 minutes. Set aside 1/2 cup citrus glaze for gravy.

For turkey:
Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and reserved turkey parts and sauté until onions are very deep brown, about 22 minutes. Add carrots, celery, and tomatoes to skillet and toss to blend. (Glaze and vegetable mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill. Cover turkey and chill.)
Set rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Place small rack in center of large roasting pan. Sprinkle vegetable mixture with turkey parts around rack. Rinse turkey inside and out; pat dry. Place turkey on rack in roasting pan. Starting at neck end, carefully slide hand between skin and breast meat to loosen skin. Rub 1/2 cup citrus glaze over breast meat under skin. If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing loosely into neck and main cavities. Tuck wing tips under turkey; tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Brush 1/3 cup glaze over top and sides of turkey (not bottom); reserve any remaining glaze. Sprinkle turkey generously with salt and pepper. Cover turkey (not pan) loosely with foil. Roast 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; add 1 cup broth to pan. Press foil snugly around turkey (not pan). Roast 1 hour 15 minutes. Add 1 cup broth to pan. Roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F, adding 1 cup broth every 30 minutes, lifting foil to baste with pan juices and removing foil during last 15 minutes to brown turkey, about 3 hours 30 minutes longer if unstuffed or 4 hours 15 minutes if stuffed. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent with foil; let stand 30 minutes (internal temperature of turkey will increase by 5 to 10 degrees). Reserve pan juices.

For gravy:
Strain pan juices into 8-cup measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract some pulp and as much liquid as possible; discard solids in strainer. Spoon fat from top of juices; discard fat. Add enough chicken broth to pan juices in cup to measure 6 cups.
Stir reserved 1/2 cup citrus glaze in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until melted. Gradually add flour; whisk 1 minute. Gradually whisk in pan juices. Bring to boil, whisking until smooth. Reduce heat to medium; boil until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Season gravy with salt and pepper. Brush any remaining glaze over turkey. Serve turkey with gravy.
Chipotle chilies canned in a spicy tomato sauce, sometimes called adobo, are available at Latin American markets, specialty foods stores, and some supermarkets.

[KQ]

This is the one Tipp was talking about:

Roast Turkey with Prosciutto-Hazelnut Crust

Ingredients

Prosciutto butter
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts
1 1/2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons crushed black peppercorns
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
9 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
3 green onions, chopped

Gravy base
Neck, heart, and gizzard reserved from one 16- to 18-pound turkey
3 large shallots, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 cup dry white wine
1 large fresh thyme sprig
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
4 cups low-salt chicken broth

Turkey
1 16- to 18-pound turkey
1 onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves, peeled, halved
5 large fresh thyme sprigs
2 large fresh summer savory sprigs
1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns
5 cups (about) low-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup all purpose flour

Preparation

For prosciutto butter:
Place butter in large bowl. Mix in hazelnuts, vinegar, thyme, crushed pepper, garlic, and salt. Mix in prosciutto and green onions.

For gravy base:
Melt 2 tablespoons prosciutto butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add neck, heart, gizzard, shallots, and bay leaf; sauté until brown, about 20 minutes. Add wine, thyme, and rosemary; boil until liquid is reduced almost to glaze, about 3 minutes. Add 4 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until giblets and neck are tender, about 1 hour. Discard bay leaf and thyme sprig. Transfer neck and giblets to work surface. Chop enough giblets to measure 1 cup. Remove meat from neck and chop. Combine neck meat and chopped giblets in bowl with broth from pot. (Prosciutto butter and gravy base can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill butter; bring to room temperature before using. Chill gravy base until cold, then cover and keep chilled.)

For turkey:
Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 325°F. Rinse turkey inside and out; pat dry. Starting at neck end, slide hand between skin and breast, thigh, and leg meat to loosen skin. Set aside 1/4 cup prosciutto butter for gravy. Spread 1 cup prosciutto butter over turkey meat under skin. Spread 1 cup prosciutto butter over outside of turkey. Sprinkle turkey inside and out with salt and pepper; place on rack set in large roasting pan. Place onion and next 4 ingredients in main turkey cavity. Tuck wing tips under; tie legs together loosely.

Roast turkey uncovered 1 1/2 hours. Tent turkey with foil; add 2 cups broth to pan. Roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F, occasionally basting with pan drippings and adding more broth to pan, about 2 hours longer. Transfer to platter; tent with foil. Let stand 30 minutes (internal temperature will increase 5 to 10 degrees).

Strain pan juices into 8-cup measuring cup; spoon fat off top. Add reserved gravy base. Add enough chicken broth to mixture to measure 5 cups total. Melt reserved 1/4 cup prosciutto butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add flour; whisk 1 minute. Gradually add pan-juice mixture, whisking constantly. Boil, whisking frequently, until gravy is very slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve turkey with gravy.

[mmmm...pow!]

I was gonna say Seghesio, looks like it's kinda popular here. I'm also a pretty big fan of just about any Lodi old vine zin. Ordinarily I would agree that something a bit more subdued would be a better call for T-day dinner, but zin should go well with how you are doing it up. That bird sounds like it's gonna be tasty!

[gretch6364]

One of our go to wines is Zin. We have membership with Seghesio and if you are a zin fan, I would strongly suggest joining. You get to taste a lot of good wines and their focus on Zin is pretty cool. Not many other vineyards focus on zins to the same degree as Seghesio so we find a really fun club to mix in with our other memberships.

I would like to add a Pinot focused club membership...any suggestions? We really like Davis Family, but their shipments are 6 bottles at every release, which is a bit heavy handed at $50 a bottle.

[KQ]

One of our go to wines is Zin. We have membership with Seghesio and if you are a zin fan, I would strongly suggest joining. You get to taste a lot of good wines and their focus on Zin is pretty cool. Not many other vineyards focus on zins to the same degree as Seghesio so we find a really fun club to mix in with our other memberships.

I would like to add a Pinot focused club membership...any suggestions? We really like Davis Family, but their shipments are 6 bottles at every release, which is a bit heavy handed at $50 a bottle.

So many great ones out of the Willamette Valley. Look into Adelsheim, Panther Creek, Chehalem, Elk Cove, Ken Wright Cellars

Or you could just look here: Willamette Wines

[plugboots]

Alas, good Pinot ain't cheap. My favorites from OR: Domain Serene, Deponte Cellers, Rex Hill, Francis Tannehill, Domaine Drouin, Archery Summit, are all around $50.

[gretch6364]

Yeah...kind of a shame...really dig a good not too sour pinot on a summer night. Still wish we could get some of the Central Otago wines here in the states...would love a regular shipment of Valli.

[guroo270]

Attachment 172201

Literally the worst Zin I've ever had with Predator with the lady bug on it coming in a close second.

[4matic]

For Thanksgiving I like the idea of staying local. You might find a big Washington Merlot. I'm a big fan of Washington wine and a Gewürztraminer or Reisling is also a good choice with turkey.

[plugboots]

For Thanksgiving I like the idea of staying local. You might find a big Washington Merlot. I'm a big fan of Washington wine and a Gewürztraminer or Reisling is also a good choice with turkey.

Yup, a WA merlot will be in the line up. Start with some SB while I cook, then Char, (I think Dance from Long Shadows), for the Mother in Law, then the Pinots, etc. Prolly finish with the WA merlot, since it's a smaller less wine savvy group this year. Ya know don't want the great unwashed drinkin' the good stuff.