In preparation for the big Thanksgiving feast, I thought I'd test drive a couple new side dishes. I really love some of Thanksgiving's traditional staples, but I also like to challenge myself on a few new dishes to add to the mix. I decided to experiment with a couple of Amy's recommended recipes for Thanksgiving: namely her Pureed Butternut Squash with Cinnamon and her Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms.
I started with the Butternut Squash recipe which was paired with the Laurent Miquel Nord Sud Viognier. This recipe was super easy and turned out delicious. Butternut squash is a great winter dish. The sweet deliciousness of this recipe paired very nicely with the smooth, medium bodied yet not overpowering Laurent Miquel Nord Sud Viognier. My husband, who described the combination of squash and Viognier as producing subtle cider-like effect, was surprised that a sweeter dessert wine wasn't paired with this dish. I on the other hand, thought a dessert wine would be too overpowering and would compete with the sweetness of the butternut squash. Too much sweetness is not a good thing, especially when it's not dessert time. I think the Viognier was a perfect compliment to this dish. If you are a white wine drinker, I definitely recommend the Viognier as a wonderful complement to the Thanksgiving menu.
I continued on to the Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms which was paired with the Lustre Syrah. This was also a
super easy recipe. I recommend that you choose a spicy sausage as I did, because it was a great complement to the spiciness of the Syrah. I would also recommend that you baste the mushrooms in a little olive oil as the mushrooms would look better in presentation as well as taste better. As is, it was a delicious appetizer. I'm much more of a red wine drinker and this Syrah is on my list of top favorite red wines that we sell. So, yes, I also definitely recommend this red wine for your Thanksgiving feast.
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