wines

When it comes to pairing wine with Thanksgiving cuisine, let's keep it simple and relaxed this year, shall we? There's no need to get too fussy. For a streamlined way to pair everything from the cheese plate to the turkey to the pumpkin pie, I'm recommending a few varietals (a sparkling, white, and red), as well as a few of the YumSugar team's favorite bottles, at both affordable and splurge-worthy price points. Here's hoping that you and your family sip with utter enjoyment this holiday. Cheers!

Sparkling Ros

It's often said that dry, rocky terrain contributes to the best grapes, full of concentrated, ultra-jammy flavors. Such is the case for the 2009 Las Rocas Garnacha ($15), which stems from Aragon, the northeastern region of Spain. Garnacha, although not familiar to many US wine drinkers, is one of the most commonly planted red grapes in the world, because it has the ability to withstand intense heat, is easily fermentable, and its signature flavor is widely liked.

On the nose, Garnacha has a sweet and sour quality like blackberries or cranberries. The extremely warm and dry weather conditions contribute to the wine's slightly higher alcohol level, which is certainly felt upon first sip. The wine is most notable for its tart, peppery, and spicy flavors that seem to linger after swallowing. As the wine trails down, it warms the chest, and an instant-gratification buzz takes effect. Spanish cuisine is often fatty and rich, and this wine would help cut through the grease. Cheese like Manchego or tapas including chorizo, croquetas, or patatas bravas would work well with this dry yet crisp Spanish wine.

Need a glass of vino, stat, but don't have the time or patience to wait for a bottle of Chard to chill in your fridge? Luckily, you don't have to! Here are five ways to chill a bottle of wine in 20 minutes or less.

• Just add salt: You probably already know that putting wine in a bucket of ice and cold water, rather than just ice, will chill your vino faster. But did you know that adding salt to the mix further speeds up the cooling time? Salt reduces the freezing point of water and allows it to become colder without turning into ice, which in turn more quickly chills your wine.
• Give it a spin: If even the water/ice/salt method isn't chilling your Sauv Blanc fast enough, keep the bucket nearby and gently spin the wine bottle in the ice water every couple minutes. Spinning the bottle moves around the contents inside, allowing more wine to come into contact with the cold glass, and chilling it faster. Keep in mind that this method works best for nonsparkling wines; try this with a bottle of Champagne and you're in for a shock when you pop open the bottle!

Keep reading for three more ways to chill out!

Our recent interview with Food & Wine executive wine editor Ray Isle gave us plenty of insight into where to buy value wines, but undoubtedly the most fun part of the chat was the special lightning round we subjected him to at the end.

We named five of our food-truck favorites and asked him to blurt out the first wine pairings that came to mind. Ray's best street-food drink matches:

• Carne asada tacos: "To go with the steak, a Zinfandel, or a Malbec from Argentina."
• Grilled cheese: "Oh, a white like an Alsatian Pinot Gris. Or a rosé; I like the ones from Provence. Either way, something with body that's rich, nutty, and has enough acid to cut the cheese."
• Pork belly buns: "A wine with tannins to counter the fat. Maybe an American Syrah; it'd pair nicely with the hoisin or plum sauce."
• Fish tacos: "Definitely a wine that's nonoaked. A bright white like Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, or an Albariño from Spain."
• Fried chicken: "Sparkling rosé! Bubbles will clear your palate. Like Krug's rosé — only someone else has to fork over the $300!"

Got any food-truck and wine pairing faves? Share them with us below.

Source: Flickr User Bob B. Brown

Say "Bordeaux" and you'll scare away many everyday wine drinkers who associate it with $2,000 bottles of Lafite. But not all wine from the region is expensive, precious, or rare; in fact, much of it is impressively affordable (as Bordeaux is the largest wine-producing region in France) and not half bad.

The key, I've discovered, is finding quality Bordeaux AOC and Bordeaux Superior AOC offerings, basic-level wines that still embody the character of the region. I found a recent steal, 2009 Chateau Le Touzinard Bordeaux, on sale at Whole Foods for a paltry $10, as part of a promotion they'd launched offering an early taste of the 2009 vintage. It's one of their outstanding selections that comes from a "petit château," a small, family-owned property.

The shocker about this wine was the fact that it was smooth, medium-bodied, and structured, yet still easy to drink on its own. I attribute that to its incredibly fruity nose, which evoked images of ripe, jammy plums, tart cherries, and cigar box spice, and its pleasant level of acidity. It's a great everyday wine for food, or without. What's your favorite Bordeaux wine?

Not familiar with Greek wines? Here's a remarkable wine to start with: 2010 Lyrarakis Dafni. This bottle by Lyrarakis is made entirely from a rare Cretan grape called Dafni that, just a few decades ago, was on the brink of extinction.

The varietal is named after the word daphne, which refers to the laurel plant that's prized for its bay leaves, and for good reason. A first sniff reveals layers of complex botanical flavors, ranging widely from juniper to eucalyptus, spearmint, and — dare I say? — laurel leaves. This bouquet's followed by a rich, long-lasting finish with a nice amount of acidity.

For less than $15 retail, it's hard to believe a wine can leave such an indelible impression. If you're looking for a white that tastes unlike anything you've experienced, this is it. Which whites are among the most memorable that you've ever had?

We've learned a lot over the years from Laura Werlin, one of the country's foremost cheese experts. In fact, we can't get enough of her new grilled cheese book, which is packed with recipes like this one filled with mozzarella, crispy prosciutto, and broccoli rabe. So it's no surprise that during her seminar in South Beach, we had a front-row seat.

Werlin's class was all about pairing grilled cheese sandwiches — perhaps America's greatest comfort food — with wine, a beverage that can often be associated with fussier settings. I'd never thought to pair the two together, but after an hour of enjoying the likes of gruyère, gorgonzola, and hazelnut grilled cheese with ice wine, I was a true believer.

Lest you think pairing high and low is daunting, take note of Laura's useful tips. To see them, keep reading.

I haven't let up on my recent obsession with Cru Beaujolais, the most serious of the Gamay wines to come from France's Beaujolais region. As I mentioned before, it can have legitimate sense of place, complexity, and aging potential. My most recent find, a 2009 Cuvée Tardive (late blend) from Fleurie's Clos de la Roilette, is all those things and more.

I was so excited when I first read about this hard-to-find wine that I tracked down two bottles: one to drink today, and another to drink in five years. Right before my New Year's Eve bash, I cracked one open with close friends. The wine had a wonderful bouquet of cherry and spice, with just enough acidity and structure to show ageability. I couldn't get enough of its soft yet lingering finish. The next five years, I've decided, can't come soon enough!

What was the last wine that you bent over backward to seek out?