Wine pairs well with turkey, stuffing

The year's most important meal is one of the easiest to pair with wine.

Traditional Thanksgiving fare goes with a range of wine - from whites to reds. Even sparkling wines and rosés have a place.

Just know what to avoid. Keep big red wines, such as cabernet and petite sirah, for big steak dinners. Give oaky wines, like buttery chardonnays, and sweet wines a rest. Save high-alcohol wines like zinfandel for a cold night.

Flavorful, tangy wines go best with the intense tastes of Thanksgiving.

Light reds

Everyone thinks of white wines with poultry. But turkey is more gamey and Thanksgiving fare more spicy and hearty, so lighter red wines, such pinot noir, work well. Francis Coppola Director's 2008 North Coast Pinot Noir is one of the better choices, offering festive smells of rich cherry, berry and some pipe tobacco and flavors of red cherry and toasty vanilla. It all ends with clean acids. $21. ****

Other light reds include those from Chianti, Tuscany, Rhone and Burgundy, or wines made from grenache or sangiovese grapes.

The best of Beaujolais comes from 10 cru regions. M.J Vincent "Charmes" Morgon is one of these hidden, misunderstood gems. A floral, raspberry smell and intense berry flavors and a spicy edge are rounded off by mouthwatering acidity that will have you reaching for a leg. $20. ****

It is not available in Pennsylvania, but you can find producers of Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly. Jadot Beaujolais Villages also is a safe bet.

Everyday sparkle

Sparkling wines aren't just for New Year's Eve and wedding toasts. They are food wines, just more subtle than nonbubbly "still" wines. Take some time with wines such as Codorníu Pinot Noir Rosé Brut, and you can find a cornucopia of character. Peach and strawberry smells give way to flavors of watermelon and a refreshing mandarin orange-and-lime finish. $13. **** 1/2

Codorníu has limited availability in Pennsylvania, but you can pick up any traditionally produced sparkling rosé. Make sure they are dry or brut-style. Wyndham Sparkling Shiraz and Simonnet Febvre Rosé are both widely available for about $18.

A good riesling

Washington State's Eroica has been called the best riesling in the North America. A joint project between Washington State's Chateau Ste. Michelle, and German riesling magnate Ernst Loosen, it attempts to combine styles of the old and new world. Eroica 2007 Riesling has lime and peach smells. In the mouth, it starts out creamy and rich then turns dry and crisp. $22. ****

Many rieslings come from the Finger Lakes region in New York and Alsace, France. Aromatic white wines for the holiday include gewürztraminer and viognier.

With so many choices, worry about the turkey, fret over the pies, but relax when it come to the wine.

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