Winesday with The Wine Shop – Thanksgiving
Dan and Ellen O’Connell at The Wine Shop in Koloa. Photo courtesy of The Wine Shop.
Tasting Kauai is happy to partner with the O’Connells for Winesday with The Wine Shop. Owners Dan and Ellen O’Connell are a delightful couple whose passion for wine is infectious, their knowledge is vast, and their service is friendly. Their beautiful store carries everything from wine and spirits to gourmet foods and sweet treats. Check in with Tasting Kauai every Wednesday to learn about their favorites. ¡Salud!
What a perfect time to write about wine for Thanksgiving. For all you traditionalists with the turkey and all the trimmings, we have a great lineup of wines for you to enjoy. Let’s start the day off with a nice light white from Portugal called Vinho Verde or try Albarino from Spain. These particular wines have a light fruit flavor on the front palate with the crisp apple or green pear on the mid palate, and finishes with a light wisp of citrus.
We like to give guests a few choices for dinner wine. For turkey, ham, stuffing, potatoes and gravy we would recommend a Pinot Noir, French Burgundy or a Grenache from Spain. For whites you could continue with your white wine from the beginning of the evening or switch to a white blend like Pinot Gris/Pinot Blanc or a Viognier.The red selections can take you to old world style with a Burgundy from France or a Pinot Noir from either Oregon or California. Oregon Pinot Noirs have more of a Burgundy flavor with new world grapes. California Pinot Noir is extremely bright with flavored light tannins and a long finish, which we love. The white blends are perfect for dinner because they can stand on their own and actually enhance the flavor of your meal.
When it’s time to bring out dessert, we would serve a nice chilled Sauterine from France. The light fruitiness and touch of crispness is absolutely perfect for accompanying pies, cakes or pudding. Now that you have put together a great meal, Happy Thanksgiving and we will see you at the wine shop!
Aloha,
Dano and Ellen O’Connell
The Wine Shop is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. On the first Saturday of each month from 4 to 7 p.m., they host monthly wine tastings. For more information call 808-742-7305 or visit www.thewineshopkauai.com. The shop is located just across the street from the Koloa Post Office.