Thanksgiving pairings + baby's first wine judging! 🥇
She's growing up so fast 🥹
What we’re diving into today:
🦃 ICYMI: My fave tried & true Turkey day wines everyone will love
🥧: Pie + wine. Need I say more?
🥇: What is was like judging at the Rodeo Uncorked wine competition
👅: Best things I tasted this week
Thanksgiving Wines That’ll Wow
*Cracks knuckles* Turkey day is just around the corner and finding the perfect pairing is my jam.
And I totally know determining what to bring, or finding something everyone will enjoy can seem overwhelming, but fear not. I’ve done all the work for you.
ICYMI, I shared a video listing tried & true wines (reds, white, rose and bubbly!) that’ll pair perfectly with your Thanksgiving meal. We’re talking turkey all the way to pumpkin pie.
To be honest, I find it a little silly to try and recommend pairings with each dish, like “X wine with stuffing,”, or “X wine with green bean casserole.” Let’s be real, we’re piling up our plates and shoving everything into our pie hole. I chose the wines below intentionally to accompany the entire feast - and explain why each pairing works!
Recommendations (and producers) listed:
Rosé (Storm Cellar Wine)
Pinot Noir (J Vineyards & Winery)
Beaujolais (Georges Duboeuf)
Grenache (Joseph Cellars)
Amarone della Valpolicella (Famiglia Pasqua)
Chardonnay (Cliff Family)
Vouvray/Chenin Blanc (didn’t feature a specific producer but Domaine Pichot Vouvray is great, easy to find, and a crowd pleaser)
Bubbles: Cremant d’Alsace and Cava (Tons of great producers out there and variety for these styles!)
Tag me in your stories what you end up bringing this year! @ConfidenceUncorked
A ‘Lil Something for Your Sweet Tooth
I worked with my friends at Spoon University to pair wine recommendations with your favorite holiday pie!
For the entire list (including Boston Creme, Lemon Meringue, Key Lime, and Chicken Pot Pie) + an explanation why each pairing works together, check out the full article here.
Also, I said what I said about Banana Cream Pie….
Rodeo Wine Judging Recap
Your girl can officially cross “being a wine judge” off her bucket list !!!
Last weekend I had the honor participate in Houston Rodeo Uncorked - one of the largest International Wine Competitions in the world!
What an incredible experience. I have so much more respect for all of the hard work and organization that goes into executing a successful wine judging.
Almost 3,000 wines were entered this year, each meticulously analyzed for quality + consumer enjoyment across 120 judges. I personally tasted over 150 wines across 2 days (🤯), survived the most horrendous case of purple teeth, and met/reconnected with some of the coolest + most talented people in the industry
Above all, it was incredible to be a part of an organization that is so close to my heart. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is an integral part of Houston, and has contributed over $600 million to education and the youth of Texas sine 1932. I know so many people who were able to attend college because of Rodeo scholarships.
Knowing that the work we were doing would not only change the lives of the wineries awarded - but the lives of students who will receive educational funding from the money raised - was so impactful. This organization is something special, y’all.
I created an entire video recapping my experience + showing you behind the scenes!
P.S. The final results were just announced - congratulations to Champagne Bollinger and Markham Vineyards!
👅 Sip(s) of the week
A roundup of my favorite things I tried this week
2019 Bodegas Esteban Martin Grenache-Cab blend: My husband thought this was a $60 wine and was shocked to learn it was only $10 bucks. This Spanish wine is a great example of looking for neighboring regions to find the best bang-for-your-buck bottles. (I shared a whole video about this tip here) P.S. it’s the perfect pairing with a fresh lamb gyro.
2012 La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino: another incredible WineSpies find! This Italian Sangiovese was the winning pairing with a creamy tomato soup I recently made (with a cottage cheese base!) The acidity of the wine balanced the tomatoes, it had enough complexity to stand up to the creaminess but soft enough tannins that didn’t overpower it. (^Not an ad, but my link scores you $20 off your WineSpies order)
Trader Joe’s 2023 Chinon: Picked this up when filming a new TJ’s wine rec video and I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley in France, and for less than $10 was a super solid buy. If you’re a fan of Pinot Noir & lighter reds, you’ll love this. Would also be a great Thanksgiving wine!
🧡 🧡 🧡
I am always thankful for this incredible community of wine lovers, but I wanted to express how truly grateful I am for you. Thank you for being here, for your time reading something I put a lot of time and effort into, for trusting me with your questions and recommendations, and for changing my life.
Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving and holding space in my heart if this is a challenging time of the year for you 🤍
xo,
Warner
Pocket Confidence is live!
If you want to learn how to pick out wines you’ll actually like, start feeling more confident and less confused in the wine aisle - I created a guide just for you! It took months of compiling my most useful tools and tips + all the things I wish someone would have initially taught me about wine. I am so proud of this thing! It’s like having a personal Sommelier in your pocket :)
The wine garden at the HSLR is top tier 🤠 love to see this behind the scenes look. You’re a freaking trouper… 70 is one sitting?! Insane. Can’t believe rodeo season is just around the corner!