The best match for an eclectic meal? Lots of food-friendly wine

The classic Thanksgiving meal is comprised of the most eclectic, variable comfort food imaginable. Which makes matching wines with it a bit of a sticky problem.

 If you consider only the centerpiece, the turkey, well, piece of cake; just serve a nice unoaked chardonnay, or easy-going Oregon pinot gris. But what about the stuffing? Which can include anything — oysters, cornbread, apple, sausage, wild rice, cranberry and pecans! And don't even get me started on the gravy and side dishes. Yeesh, how are you gonna rein all that in?

Fight eclectic with eclectic, I say. So we present a vast array of food-friendly wines, all the while keeping one eye on the wide assortment of guests. After all, Aunt June has to have her sweet wine, while Grandpa DeWayne loves brawny reds. On top of that, let's try to keep prices reasonable.

Beginning with sweeter wines, the Alexander Valley Vineyard, 2008 New Gewurz North Coast Gewürztraminer, $10, comes out every year just in time for Thanksgiving. And if previous vintages are any indication, this one will have complex flavors, from brown spice to extreme floral notes (and if you know litchi, that's gewurz). And you can't get any fresher than grapes just a couple months off the vine.

For my money, the best sweet food wine is a good German riesling, and it's impossible to beat the Loosen Bros., 2007 "Dr. L." Riesling, $12. All sorts of wild tropical fruit flavors, lean racy texture, and yes, a touch of sweetness.

What about that un-oaked chardonnay? Any good Macon or Chablis would suffice, but try the Charles Smith, 2006 Holy Cow Washington Chardonnay, $13. This may be lightly oaked, as I get just a hint of caramel in the aromas. Otherwise it's a delicious, straightforward, apple-flavors chardonnay. And a great food accompaniment.

With pinot gris you can go deep and profound (for example, Eyrie, or an Alastian version), or light and easy-going. I prefer the latter in this case, and in particular, the Cooper Hill, 2006 Willamette Valley Pinot Gris, $13. Bright, and refreshing, fruit-driven, with citrus and green apple flavors, this is a perky wine that will enliven every part of the meal.

One group of wines I always include, but can't specifically review because they are not released until the Thursday before Thanksgiving, is the Beaujolais Nouveau. I know, it's all hype and hoopla, but doggone it, the wines are just so fruity and fresh, I can't resist.

It'll be interesting to see if the dollar rising against the euro will impact prices (I doubt it), but usually you can find these wines in the $12 to $16 range.

A good safe nouveau is the ubiquitous Georges Deboeuf. It's often the lightest, and most fruity. The Joseph Drouhin tends to be more earthy, giving it a bit more oomph.

Let's end with a pinot noir. There are dozens of Oregon pinots to recommend, but in trying to find a bargain I came upon the Springhill Cellars, 2005 Estate Pinot Noir, $15, which is reduced in price this month.

This Albany winery has been making rock sold wines for two decades, and this is proof. With classic aromas of earth and dried flowers, bright flavors of berry and cherries, this pinot also has good structure and acidity. It's a great food wine.

Grandpa's gonna love it.