For Thanksgiving we opted to do an international Pinot Noir tasting.  Since the varietal is one that has been rumored to pair well with turkey, we thought it  would be fun to see how different country’s respective grapes compared.  We went for three continents — get everybody to join the party!

Hob Nob, 2011, Languedoc, France:  Smooth, oh so smooth.  I could taste chocolate.  Not a great pairing for turkey, but we took one for the team and still enjoyed it!  Hand me some chocolate covered pretzels and this wine…oh yes! Very reasonable — about $10-$12.

Nobilo Icon, 2012, Marlborough, New Zealand:  More acidic than Hob Nob, much better pairing for turkey, traditional Pinot taste.  I say that as nothing jumped out about it but still very nice.  About $15.

Schug, 2010, Carneros, California:  Same as above…more acidic than Hob Nob, much better pairing for turkey.  Taste of cherries then a bit of smoke at end.  About $17-$20.

Definitely a fun element to add to Thanksgiving dinner and it was great listening to all the comments at the table on people’s specific tastes, likes, distinctions, characteristics they took from each wine.  Go Pinot!