A Thanksgiving Symphony for Food and Wine

Let us create a “Symphony for Food and Wine” this Thanksgiving. Our musical score, skillfully written will meld wine with food to create a classical dining experience and a memorable symphony. The rhythmic melodies of the food, juxtaposed with the haunting refrains of the wine will delight us and our dinner guests.

Wine is the instrument that brings forth the flavors of the food in each course, just as the winds, strings, brass or percussion sections convey the feelings of the symphony’s movements. We choose the wine to go with the food course the same way we select the instruments to illustrate the mood of the movement. We would not select ponderous tubas for a scherzando (playful mood) in our symphony; just as we should not pair overly tannic wines with the light or delicate dishes of our dinner. With rich, fatty foods such as red meat, select red wines that have enough tannins and acids to stand up to the richness of the food. Conversely, choose light, fruitier styled wines for lighter dishes such as fish, chicken or salads.

In our Symphony for Food and Wine, we call on the suitable instrument to express the mood of the movement the same way we select wines that will compliment the food in each course. When the musical movements of our symphony tell our story of romance, love and joy we have orchestrated a classical composition. As the fruits and acids of the wine meld with the flavors of the food, exciting our senses, we are also orchestrating an exquisite dining experience. The time has come to compose our Symphony of Food and Wine for an unforgettable Thanksgiving feast. Iniziamo—let us begin!

Allegro - The Aperitif

The first movement is the Allegro. It sets the stage for everything to come, the same way an aperitif heightens our taste buds for the upcoming courses. The Allegro Aperitif’s music is light and inviting. We hear animato, rhythmic strings in the opening movement like Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Emulate the Allegro’s uplifting energy with a whimsical, bubbly Kir Royal (see recipe in the wine menu) as an aperitif. This is a combination of Crème de Cassis (French liquor from black currants) and Champagne. The sugar of the cassis and the effervescence of the Champagne will open up our taste buds with mouth watering acids, titillating our appetite for the coming courses.

Adagio Moderato - The Appetizer

In our second movement the tempo changes from the sprightly Allegro for the Aperitif, without food, to a slower, easy Adagio Moderato with food. Now we hear soft melodic harps with soothing clarinets and piccolos in the background setting an elegantly, slower pace. The mood is romantic, almost wistfully asking for a flavorful, white wine that is a little fruity, with a lingering, resonant finish. Choose a Viognier or a Roussanne varietal or a cuvee blended with these grapes. This wine selection will seduce our palates with citrus and tropical fruit flavors that will whet our appetite for the much anticipated main course—the Scherzo.

Scherzo - The Main Course

The Scherzo for the main course returns us to the quicker pace of the first movement with elongated, low notes from trumpets heralding the arrival of the main course—the succulent stuffed turkey with its savory trimmings. We do not want the trumpets to be played fortissimo (very loud), that would overshadow the other instruments nor do we want our wine to overshadow the food with harsh tannins. In the background, behind the clarinets we enjoy the rich, deep tones from tubas and bass drums, played pianissimo (gently or very softly) the same way the lush fruit flavors will come through the moderate acids of the wine. At the end of this movement, all the instrument sections join together equally in a triumphant climax of sounds like the rich berry flavors of a Pinot Noir blending with the scrumptious juices of the turkey.

Pinots are the perfect companions for turkey with a savory bread, sausage or chestnut stuffing. At its best, Pinot Noir is rich with subtle flavors that will not overpower fowls. A good domestic Pinot will be a little earthy and fruity with lush dark berry undertones. The mild tannins will not overwhelm the turkey’s white meat and the berry’s acids will cut through the fatty juices of the dark meat. The Pinot’s fruity acids also mingle comfortably with the stuffing and other traditional starches such as garlic smashed potatoes or yams.

Allegro - The Dessert

Our Thanksgiving Symphony of Food and Wine comes to a joyful, sweet conclusion with the tingling sounds of tambourines and tubular bells applauding the feast and the sounds of cellos rounding out the perfect finale. Our wine choice for the desert course should be dolce, sweet, and rewarding or legato, smooth and flowing, with traces of fruit, the perfect finish.

Choose a sweet, late harvest wine to go with pumpkin or creamy pies. As a guide, the desert wine can be as sweet as the desert but not sweeter. If you are serving fresh fruit, topped with or without whipped cream, choose a port styled wine. The late harvest wine or the port styled wine can be enjoyed on their own for the diet conscious guest.

In each movement we selected the instruments for their tonal qualities to create a musical form that was individualistic and still a cohesive part of the whole symphony. The wines we selected are as much a part of each course as the food is a part of the entire dinner. The food and the wines experienced together are a dining sensation.

From movement to movement, course to course we have composed a Thanksgiving Symphony Masterpiece. All of the courses are filled with a profusion of sumptuous taste sensations that will be relived in our minds and the minds of our guests’ for a very long time to come.

For a copy of my  "Sommelier’s Thanksgiving Wine Menu" email me at BernardBerlin@q.com