Weekly Toast: You need a robust wine to stand up to stuffing

With all your preparations for Thanksgiving dinner, don't let the wine selection keep you up at night.

Your concerns are certainly warranted, as the traditional Thanksgiving dinner menu presents quite a challenge to pair with wine. Much like the guest list, the holiday is more of a smorgasbord with conflicting flavors and personalities.

That is why hosts need wines that are versatile.

One of the world's most versatile food wines comes from central France and is known as Beaujolais. This wine routinely gets a bad rap, which can mostly be blamed on the overproduced and lackluster Beaujolais Nouveau.

There are, however, wines in the region called "cru Beaujolais. " They are crushed and vinified like fine Burgundy and can be some of the world's coolest and most distinctive wines. These cru Beaujolais are often sold at spectacular values.

To stand up to stuffing and turkey you also are going to need something with some considerable body. A Californian or Oregonian Chardonnay will pair well, though avoid heavily oaked wines which often conflict with food.

Remember, if there is something to be learned from these wines, it is to be flexible and adapt to whatever Thanksgiving brings.