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Wine pairings for every course

By Peter M. Gianotti

(Newsday / Tony Jerome)

Be thankful for wine. If you've been working on the supermarket-cart Thanksgiving, here are some fairly priced wines to complement your feast.

THE MAIN COURSE

Pinot noir, zinfandel and Beaujolais are red wines to pair with the big bird; riesling Vouvray and other fruity white wines are good alternatives. Equally important, they go with the side dishes. You need a versatile wine to face stuffing, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce. You could drink these wines from start to finish, too.

Consider the 2007 Georges DuBouef Fleurie and the 2007 Moulin-á- Vent ($16 each); the lush Potel-Aviron Morgon Cote du Py ($23); floral and fruitier 2006 Potel-Aviron Cote de Brouilly ($18). Louis Jadot's 2006 Chateau de Jacques Moulin-á- Vent ($20) and 2007 Beaujolais-Villages ($12) are first-rate.

Continue the French connection with ripe red Burgundy. The 2006 Joseph Drouhin Chorey-les-Beaune ($26) is a supple, medium-bodied pinot noir. The 2006 Domaine Faiveley Mercurey ($23) and 2006 Joseph Faiveley Bourgogne Pinot Noir ($22) offer red fruit and some spice.

The food-friendly, fruity 2007 Hayman Hill Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir ($15); cherry-plummy 2007 Blackstone Winermaker Select Pinot Noir ($12); and cherry-berry 2007 Mandolin Monterey Pinot Noir ($12) also complement turkey.

With an artful label comes the 2005 Spellbound Old Vine Zinfandel ($15), an easygoing option. The 2006 Rancho Zabaco Sonoma Heritage Zinfandel ($15) also is immediately approachable. The juicy 2005 Napa Cellars Zinfandel ($22) and straightforward 2006 Artezin Mendocino Zinfandel ($18) complement plenty.

Primitivo basically is Italian zinfandel. The gutsy, ripe 2006 Layer Cake Primitivo ($16), pictured, from Puglia stands up to all seasonings.

If you prefer white wine: the 2006 St. Supery Virtú ($28), a peachy, refined sauvignon blanc-semillon blend; off-dry 2007 Ventana Arroyo Seco Monterey Riesling ($18); fruity and balanced 2007 Remy Pannier Vallée des Jardins Vouvray ($17); and the soft 2007 Laurenz und Sophie Singing Grüner Veltiner ($13) from Austria.

WINES FOR SALADS OR LIGHT APPETIZERS

Try sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. The versatile 2007 St. Supéry Sauvignon Blanc ($18), zesty Chateau St. Jean Fumé Blanc ($13), appley 2007 Girard Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($16), citrus-laden 2007 Silverado Miller Ranch Sauvignon Blanc ($20) and fuller 2007 CADE Sauvignon Blanc ($26) suit starters. So do the 2007 Sartori Pinot Grigio ($10) and 2007 Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio ($17).

DESSERT WINES

For pumpkin or pecan pie, look for a cream sherry, such as Hartley & Gibson ($11), an oloroso, such as Sandeman Armada ($15), or a domestic gewürztraminer, such as the 2007 Pietra Santa ($17) from California, to face all those spices. With apple pie: a sweet Riesling, maybe the 2007 Pacific Rim ($10).