CORKSCREW CHRONCLES: Good wine ensures that only one Thanksgiving turkey is at the table

The basic Thanksgiving entrées are fairly simple to pair with wine. Turkey — very wine flexible. Choose your favorite. Ham — Fruity, softly-sweet whites and fruity, light reds. Avoid sweet bastes. Lamb — Bordeaux varietals, full red wines. Avoid mint jelly. Dessert — Late harvest whites and Ice Wines. With pumpkin pie try a Bual or Malmsey Madeira. 2025 Thanksgiving wine choices: Sparklers — Check out sparklers from Debonne, Ferrante, Grand River Cellars, Kosicek, Laurello and M Cellars. Baci NV Brut Bolle Sparkling, GRV (Grand River Valley), $36 — Pretty aromas of fresh citrus and apple. Crisp, dry and defined. Tommasi "Filladoro" Prosecco, Veneto, $20 — Dry and lingering with elegant flavors. Roederer "L'Ermitage" Brut, California, $85 — Crisp, toasty, creamy and lingering. Aromatic and light whites Ferrante '24 "Golden Bunches" signature series dry riesling, GRV, $16 — Green apple/mineral nose/flavors. Softly dry and long with mouthwatering acidity. Chateau Ste. Michelle "Eroica" riesling, Washington, $23 — Crisp and lingering with minerality. M Cellars Rkatsiteli Estate, GRV, $25 — Very pretty flavors of ripe, red apple and citrus with tropical fruit overtones. Vermilion Valley Vineyards Gewurztraminer, Wakeman $26 — perfumed nose of rose petals and spice, a Thanksgiving classic. Grand River Cellars '24 pinot grigio, GRV, $16 — Delicate nose. Ripe juicy-fruit aromas with nice texture and length. Full whites '23 Baci sauvignon blanc, GRV, $35 — Delicate, clean fruit nose touched with herbs and tropical overtones. Sweet, ripe fruit with juicy flavors. Pretty style. Serge Dagueneau Pouilly fume, Loire, $33 — ripe, complex and full-bodied with herbal overtones. '24 Kosicek estate "Stainless Steel" chardonnay, GRV, $21 — Pale, bright gold. Notes of citrus, pears and green apple. Crisp, textured and long. Domaine Eden chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains, $45 — Bright gold with elegant lemon zest, mineral and rich oak. Elk Cove pinot blanc, Oregon, $20 — Brilliant citrus with a long, crisp finish. Rose Bodegas Breca, Spain, $17 — delicate peach, red berry and mineral. Laurello rose of pinot noir, GRV, $16 — Softly dry with ripe, red apple/strawberry fruit. Light reds M Cellars '24 merlot Garagista Series, GRV, $29 (carbonic maceration) — Light ruby. Pretty, fresh, soft red fruit, mouthwatering acidity, some moderate tannins. J Lohr Wildflower gamay/Valdiguié, Monterey, $12 — Bright purple with frothy, lush fruit in the nose and flavors. Georges Duboeuf beaujolais nouveau, France, $18 — Fruity, soft, pleasant. A holiday tradition. House of Brown red blend, Lodi $20 — Soft, lush red fruit and elegant structure. Vermilion Valley Vineyards petite roja, Lake Erie, $18 — Full black raspberry-pinot aromas and pretty flavors. Ponzi "Tavola" pinot noir, Willamette, $35 — dark strawberry and spice with focus. Heron Creek sweet red, Wellington, $19 — deep purple hue, cherry aromas and flavors with a hint of sweetness. Full reds Ferrante '24 "Signature Series" cabernet franc, GRV, $27 — Dark ruby. Boysenberry/cranberry aromatics with moderate tannins, finishing soft and long. Matus Chambourcin, Wakeman, $17 — Deep color with dark fruit and firm structure. Ridge Vineyards zinfandel - Look for any Ridge releases. They are exceptional! Juan Gil Blue Label, Jumilla, $45 — Richly-textured with plush oak and dark plum/vanilla overtones. Chappellet "Mountain Cuvee", Prichard Hill, $60 — Black cherry, spice and oak, a blend of Bordeaux varietals. Look for the Kosicek Winery '24 petite syrahs, GRV, $35 — There are two bottlings, the French oak (blackberry fruit, good oak structure/body, powerful but refined) and the American oak (Vanilla/dark fruit, chocolate overtones with power and concentrated oak). Must-try's! Dessert Jorge Ordonez selection #2 "Victoria," Malaga, $25/375 ml. — light and pleasant with pretty, fresh-grape fruit. Look for the exceptional Ohio ice wines released by many Lake Erie producers. Try the Debonne Vineyards $40/375ml with apricot and honey notes. The Rare Wine Company Bual or Malmsey, Madeira, $60, is perfect with pumpkin pie. Gary Twining is a certified wine educator who worked 34 years in the wholesale fine wine industry. Email him at winingwithtwining@hotmail.com.