Many wines complement the many tastes of Thanksgiving dinner

A cornucopia of familiar and comfortable flavors are crammed on the Thanksgiving table: roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet corn, cold antipasto, butternut squash, candied yams and warm apple crumb and pumpkin pies. Just as these simple and delicious foods bring warmth to the soul, the wine you drink should do the same. No matter which you choose.

The flavors and weights of the foods on Thanksgiving are so diverse it's almost impossible to single out a few varietals that work best. But if we're talking proper food and wine pairing, there are a few wines I'd suggest.

White wines: Gewurztraminer, Riesling, torrontes and gruner veltliner are aromatic wines that display hints of sugar and spice, just like the food on the table. With a little bit of balancing acidity, these wines can adapt to everything from a salad to the main event.

Red wines: Select wines such as pinot noir, barbera, sangiovese, grenache and tempranillo that are fruit-forward and easy on the tannins, with cherry and blueberry flavors and hints of earthiness. Since the turkey and stuffing are most likely the heaviest part of the meal, you don't necessarily need a big wine.

But there are also moments when I dismiss the very basic rules of food- and wine-pairing for a principle that's far more important: Serve or bring wine that you know everyone will enjoy. Thanksgiving is no time to try to impress with some austere bottle of egocentric juice. There are people who love wine, and there are those who simply like to drink it. The people who like to drink wine far outnumber us wine geeks, and they'll have no problem suffering through a Diet Coke with dinner if the wine you brought "tastes funny" to them. And again, there are so many wines that could work, it's hard to go wrong.

Joe Iurato is a certified sommelier, wine consultant and lecturer, and a working fine artist. For questions and comments, e-mail him at features@northjersey.com.