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One of the most difficult wine pairing always seems to be the Thanksgiving meal. There are just too many different kinds of food (and too much food period) to have a pairing that is spot-on. So to solve this conundrum I went to my favorite wine columnists over at The Wall Street Journal, Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher. Their take? Drink American...


So after some inspiration to find a good American cab, but not something I've seen on menus and at the store, I needed to go to someone in the know - in this case it was Paul Rakovich, the sommelier at Delmonico Steakhouse in Las Vegas whom Isabell and I met back in June. I sent Paul an e-mail asking about a great American cabernet that was a little off the radar for most. On his recommendation I ended up buy the O'Shaughnessy Winery 2004 Howell Mountain cabernet sauvignon. The wine was fantastic and did what all great wines do: it made the day, our first Thanksgiving together, a memorable one.

Here are the tasting notes on the wine:

Deep, dark ruby red color with a vibrant purple hue and an almost opaque core. Complex aromas of black cherry, black currant, tobacco, sandalwood, leather, smoked meats and chocolate. This wine has a purity of place and minerality with black pepper, orange rind and soy sauce qualities. Mixed red berry flavors and sweet vanilla cream with an excellent acid, tannin balance that lingers on the palate. An elegant yet extracted wine that is impressive upon release.