Five Top Wines For Thanksgiving And National Zinfandel Day

"I always have a bottle of zinfandel on my Thanksgiving table. Everything except the turkey is so full of flavor that any other wine is going to pale in comparison." That quote is from Cindie Barker, manager of Blue Coyote Supper Club in Fort Myers. I always hear her words as the holiday approaches and I'm making decisions on wines to open. Pondering that question once again, I put together a list of the five top wines for Thanksgiving and National Zinfandel. The national day to recognize this sometimes misunderstood grape falls on the third Wednesday of November. It's just in time for Thanksgiving and for Wine Wednesday.

I'm always amazed at the number of people who think zinfandel is nothing more than the sweet, pink wine known as white zinfandel. However, zinfandel is a red grape that makes robust red wines. They are known for being jammy with dark and red fruits, spice and black pepper. Yes, it can be made into a rose. However, they are nothing like a white zin.

Zinfandel was once a dominant part of the U.S. wine scene, widely planted by Italian immigrants. In fact, some vines that were planted in the 1800's still exist in California. The Zinfandel Advocates & Producers, or ZAP for short, is an organiztion dedicated to this grape that is thought to originate in Croatia but revered worldwide.

They have a great website featuring all kinds of info about the grape and California winemakers who love it. ZAP created a state-wide zin trail for other zin lovers. The site gives info on where to taste and even has recipes for food and wine pairings. It's a great resource.

One of my first introductions to great California zins was decades ago when I visited both Chateau Montelena and A Rafanelli. Then over the years it was great names such as Martinelli, Turley, Seghesio, Robert Biale, Saddleback Cellars, Ridge, Peachy Canyon, Bricoleur, Limerick Lane, and so many more. If you want to try something new for Thanksgiving, it's zin for the win.

If you have attended any charity event in Southwest Florida, there is almost always an auction lot offering some kind of food and wine experience. They come up for bid, someone grabs it, and that is often the last you hear about it. Today, I'm giving you a look at one, an Italian Wine Dinner for a local non-profit in Fort Myers for Wine Wednesday.

The organization is the Heights Foundation. It serves children and families in the underserved community of Harlem Heights, off of Gladiolus Drive in Fort Myers. The foundation's largest annual fund raising event is called Love Your Neighbor. For the past several years, there is one dinner that has become a staple and I'm fortunate to be part of it. I team up with beloved chef Harold Balink, chef and owner of Harold's Restaurant in Fort Myers to organize a wine pairing dinner.

Together, we plot and plan a theme. Then, I help with the wines and he does the food of course. In the past we've done Fall Feasts, 90 Point Wine Dinners, Pinot Parties and lots more. It gets a little loud and we always have a lot of fun. This year, Harold suggested an Italian comfort food and wine pairing event. With the temperatures dropping like they have this week, the timing could not have been better. In addition, it was National Pasta Day. It really was perfect in every way.

Here are some photos from the Italian wine dinner for the Heights Foundation, at Harold's Restaurant. Next time you see something like this up for action, go in with your friends, throw your paddle up and be ready for a delicious time to benefit a good cause. Cheers to Wine Wednesday.

*By the way, the next Heights Foundation event is Saltwater Cowboy, this Friday. Details here.