4 North Bay wines to pair with your Thanksgiving feast

Do you know what I hate? I hate it when a publication posts a story about the wines you need for a special occasion on the day of that special occasion — or even the day before. Who wants to be looking around the store on the day before Thanksgiving, holding a can of cranberry sauce, and asking about the wine? Certainly not me! To that end — and as a result of a few emails last year — I’m posting Thanksgiving wines just a bit earlier, giving all of you plenty of time to seek them out.

In years past, Thanksgiving turkey was an easy pairing with Marin County wine. Susan Pey of Pey-Marin Vineyards made an excellent riesling — perfect for turkey, just ask any sommelier — and Sean Thackrey made an excellent light-bodied red blend called Pleiades. Sadly, neither winemaker is with us today. Thackrey died in 2022, and Pey in 2016, and neither of those wines is available anymore, nor are those companies around. The Pleiades Wine Co. ceased operations this summer, and Pey-Marin is now Domaine Jonathan Pey. All of which just goes to show that we should never take anything for granted, neither the great Marin wines that we have available nor the winemakers who make them. For that alone, we should give all of our thanks.

In that spirit, I offer up two Marin-associated white wines, one sparkling and, for the iconoclasts out there, a red wine, all of which are sure to complement your upcoming holiday meal. Gobble gobble.

• Honig Sauvignon Blanc, 2024, $24

Made in Napa by a family that mostly lives in Marin — Honig co-owner and director of California sales Steven Honig lives in Corte Madera — this sauvignon blanc is all stainless steel-fermented and then aged on the lees, also in steel, which creates — guess what — a steely, minerally California sauvignon blanc. Sure, there’s still some grapefruit and melon flavors in it — it is from California after all — but delightfully so. Turkey often has plenty of butter, and sometimes oak, so we don’t really need it in our Thanksgiving wine, now do we? Aging this sauvignon blanc on the lees gives it some great richness without all that butter, and stainless steel sure eliminates the oak. Sure, it’s not Sancerre, but it’s also not nearly as expensive.

For more information or to purchase, go to honigwine.com.

• Carboniste, Marin Blanc de Noir, 2020, $46

This is a lovely sparkling wine made primarily with pinot noir, with a touch of chardonnay thrown in for good measure. Not a “méthode champenoise” wine, even though both grapes would qualify it as such, Carboniste adds a step or two that disqualify it from that nomenclature. And you know what? I say, so what! Crisp apple layered with a yeasty, elegant sparkle makes this wine perfect for pairing. The two vineyards, Kendric and Corda, are both organic, and that makes it even more Marin. One does have to get used to the crown enclosure, like a soda or beer bottle, but the French use the same thing before they “cork” their champagne after dosage, so there’s that. And it’s so much easier! Sparkling wine really is the universal solvent.

For more information or to purchase, go to carboniste.com.

• Kendric Vineyards, Petaluma Gap/Marin County, Viognier, 2024, $30

Kendric makes the list again with their own wine. Winemaker Stewart Johnson calls San Anselmo home, as does his wife, San Anselmo Councilmember Eileen Burke. His delightfully sparse Viognier comes from Marin’s Petaluma Gap vineyards and exhibits all the crisp apple brightness one would expect from cool climate grapes — think southern Rhône. It has none of the oiliness that French Viognier, particularly those from the northern Rhône, can sometimes exhibit. Its 13.1% ABV also renders it a more subtle combination that is simply perfect for turkey. Good for us, not so great for the bird.

For more information or to purchase, go to kendricvineyards.com.

• DeLoach Vineyards, Devil’s Gulch, Marin County, pinot noir, 2021, $75

Arguably, Sean Thackrey made the finest pinot noir ever to come out of Marin. His Andromeda made from Devil’s Gulch fruit was unctuous, rich and elegant all at once, just like he was. Sadly, Thackrey died in 2022. Now, DeLoach Vineyards in Santa Rosa has picked up the mantle. Devil’s Gulch in West Marin is aptly named; its steep terraces and shallow soil force the vines to work harder, which results in smaller berries. Smaller berries mean a higher skin-to-fruit ratio, and that results in bigger, bolder flavors (tannins and acidity and such). Still technically a “lighter-bodied” wine, this pinot exhibits an acidic muscularity that really can pair with anything. And if it doesn’t? Let the in-laws, the kids or even the dog have the food. This wine is that good.

For more information or to purchase, go to deloachvineyards.com.