Ah, November.

Football, fire pits, flannels, boots, spiced cider, winery visits, holiday brews, pumpkins and of course, the best holiday of the year, Thanksgiving! As we prepare to host our families this Thanksgiving, we thought we’d share a few of our favorite Virginia wines that will be on our dinner table.

The Reds.

Stone Tower Winery 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon (Wild Boar Label)

This recently released Cabernet Sauvignon was in our pick-up this past weekend. We were so impressed we actually took a few bottles home. Dark ruby in color and fruit forward on the nose, with notes of blackberry, plum and rosemary, this is the perfect holiday wine. Although still young, this wine has a nice complexity. Aged in twice used oak barrels, notes of walnut and dark chocolate are picked up quite nicely.

Delaplane Cellars Left Bank Estate Red

Delaplane Cellars, home to one of our newest wine club memberships, crafts some beautiful wines.  Their Left Bank is a gorgeous red blend predominately comprised of Cabernet Franc (47%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (35%) with fruit entirely from the estate. A touch of Merlot and Petit Verdot round this blend out, adding to the structure and full body. Light tannins and a touch of oak make this a great pairing for almost any meal.

Slater Run Vineyards 2014 First Bridge

The 2014 First Bridge is another Bordeaux-style blend. Aged for 16 months in French Oak barrels, this wine is a lovely blend of 38% Cabernet Franc, 32% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon and just a touch of Petit Verdot (2%). Winemaker Katell Griaud (who studied in Bordeaux) brings a piece of France to Virginia with this eloquent wine. Another highlight of the First Bridge is the hint of moss and forest floor on the nose, attributed to the heavy hand of Merlot, one of our favorite varietal.

The Whites.

2016 Linden Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc

Linden Vineyards is one of our favorite Virginia wineries. Jim Law, one of the pioneers of the Virginia wine industry, continues to surprise and delight us with his delicately crafted wines.  The 2016 Sauvignon Blanc is another great addition to Linden’s wine list. With grapefruit and lime zest on the palate and a chalky minerality, the medium bodied white is the perfect glass to greet guests or pair with hors d’oevre!

Delaplane Cellars 2016 Viognier Reserve

As our wine educator at Delaplane recently described, this Viognier is the creme de la creme of Delaplane’s white varietals. While we aren’t normally big Viognier lovers, we were delighted when we tasted this bottle. This dry white is exceptionally balanced, with tropical fruit notes and a touch of citrus.  This would pair wonderfully with a salad course or provide a nice complement to the full Thanksgiving meal!

While we think we’ve picked some top notch selections, remember that the most important factor in your Thanksgiving wine pairing is YOU! If you choose wines that you enjoy and want to share with your loved ones it’s sure to be a great holiday!

Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving Winos!