Guest blogger Russ Kane (www.vintagetexas.com/blog) kicks off our Thanksgiving coverage with a few Texas wine recommendations. If you’ve never tasted them, find out what Texas has to offer with these wines. To find a Texas winery, click here for an interactive map. Next week we’ll be posting some favorite T-giving recipes, so be sure to check back. -alyce eyster

Thanksgiving Day is a Time for Texas Wine

by Russ Kane, wine writer, blogger and aficionado
www.vintagetexas.com

The Thanksgiving Day table is set with abundance: savory, tasty and sweet. This meal requires wines that offer flexibility gained from fresh ripe fruit, lean or little oak aging or perhaps a kiss of sweetness. These Texas wines are up to the occasion.

Haak Vineyards Reserve Blanc du Bois 2009

Fermented in toasted oak, left sur lie and made soft and silky with a second malolactic fermentation, this wine prevails with its crisp citrus aromas resulting in an elegant and finely-balanced wine. Serve with mild cheeses, roasted pork and poultry.

Fall Creek Vineyards Meritus 2006

This wine is a well structured but fruit dominated Bordeaux styled blend (74% Cabernet, 25% Merlot, 1% Syrah). Its soft tannins combine with unending dark berry flavors and an elegant dry finish. Serve with prime rib or grilled meats.

Becker Vineyards Clementine (Late Harvest Viogner) 2009

Made from high quality Bingham Family Vineyards Texas high plains fruit, you’ll give thanks for the sophisticated sweet finish this wine will bring to your family celebration.

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Russ Kane has covered activities in the Texas wine industry for over a decade with articles in selected local and regional publications. He is currently blogging regularly at www.vintagetexas.com/blog and is involved in a book project on the Texas wine experience, scheduled for publication in late 2011. He promises that his book will be like no other wine book you’ve read before; true tales of Texas grit and determination. It documents his travels through time and Texas’ wide-open spaces describing his taste-ups with growers, winemakers and even long departed souls.