Which wine?

Linda Means, store manager at Brookmere Wine Cellars in Hollidaysburg, poses with Sangria, dessert sweet red wine, and riesling, dinner semi-dry white wine.
With Thanksgiving around the corner, one question seems to precede all others when it comes to making turkey dinner for family and friends, area wine experts say - what kind of wine to serve. And with so many varied and savory dishes to account for in the celebration of harvest and bounty, it can be a tough call to make.

The Mirror consulted three wine experts to help readers get a better handle on pairing wines with foods for Thanks-giving.

Giving thanks with wine

''There are so many different possibilities in pairing wines with foods at Thanksgiving,'' said Mark Hazur, specialty purchasing supervisor for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board in Harrisburg. ''But in the end, what it comes right down to is personal choice. It all comes back to the guests and what they like. Wine enthusiasts are more inclined to try different things; others are just focusing on the event itself - not the wine.''

But though nothing's etched in stone, it's a good idea to start with a sparkling wine.

''Champagne is a celebratory thing. It breaks the ice and whets the appetite,'' he said. ''You can start out with it and continue with it because the acidity pairs well with the turkey, while continuing the celebratory aspect of the meal. After that, put a red or white wine on the table for people who like to eat dark or white meat, and then offer any leftover champagne with dessert.''

As far as after-dinner sweetness goes, Hazur cited sweet, fortified wines such as riesling wines, Madeira wines and port wines as ideal dessert complements.

''You want the dessert wine to be sweeter than the dessert itself,'' he said. ''You don't want the sweeteners of the dessert to overpower the sweetness of the wine. Dark chocolate, for instance, is more wine friendly than light chocolate. As for pies, Madeira, which has kind of a caramel flavor, goes really good with pecan pie, and rieslings go well with pumpkin pie.''

Consider the turkey

Linda Means, store manager at Brookmere Wine Cellars in Hollidaysburg, cited a general rule amongst wine aficionados.

''Normally, people in the (wine) industry suggest drinking white wine with white meat; red wine with red meat. It's just an easy way to put it together if you're not a connoisseur,'' she said. ''But truthfully, any more, there is no rule of thumb. It's whatever is pleasing to the palate.''

And she had a few ideas in the way of palate pleasers.

''Good options are crisp whites like riesling and pinot grigio (a pink wine),'' she said. ''Pinot noir, beaujolais (light-bodied red wine, with relatively high amounts of acidity) and white zinfandel (a semi-sweet rose wine) all have juicy, berry-ripe flavors that go good with turkey.''

Look beyond the bird

Since Thanksgiving dinner often is a banquet-style dinner, with everyone choosing the trimmings, why not do the same with the wine, said Scott Schraff, winemaker and general manager at Oak Spring Winery in Altoona.

''Of all our wines, cranberry wine is our No. 1 seller over Thanksgiving - it goes like gangbusters,'' he said. ''That's because it's not too sweet and it's not too dry - it goes well with everything. We also sell a lot of our spiced apple wine - that goes well with dinner and dessert. It's perfect for after dinner.''

Overall, Schraff recommends semi-sweet wines and semi-dry wines to complement a Thanks-giving dinner - the main buying trend in this area.

''I don't like anything too dry for Thanksgiving because turkey is a dry meat,'' he said. ''By the same token, you don't want something too sweet to overpower the taste of your meal.''

How to decide: ''Try before you buy - that's our motto,'' he said.

''Instead of being at the mercy of a wall of wines, sample what you like,'' he said. ''Don't leave with something unless you're sure you're going to like it.''