On Wine: Which wines pair well with your Thanksgiving experiences?

My Thanksgiving wine advice is pretty straightforward: Have a variety of styles to appeal to everyone, have plenty of it, and don’t sweat the details. It’s the food’s day to shine.

After I suggested that last year, though, a reader asked if I have any pairings I particularly love.

Over the years, I have a few special memories of food and wine pairs that ended up being favorites and one that worked particularly well.

Sparkling wines work well with almost any appetizer, particularly anything salty or rich. It’s arguably the perfect festive way to start a celebration. I’ve got a particular fondness for fried potatoes in all their forms and a soft spot in my heart for bubbles. Together, they can be a delightful taste experience.

One year, while deep-frying a turkey, we fried thin slices of potato in the bubbling oil. Crisp, salty and paired with a riff on French onion dip that included caramelized Vidalia onions and roasted garlic – I still dream about that one.

One crisp, cold Thanksgiving, I made a pot of oyster and artichoke soup as a starter. We stood around the fire outside with bowls of the soup and glasses of Pinot Gris from Oregon. The wine enhanced the briny taste of the oysters and the lemony bites of artichoke, and it cut through the cream in the soup. It was so delicious we couldn’t stop. Eight of us devoured a pot of soup and the wine meant for twice that many before other guests arrived.

Fall salads are such a delight, as sturdier greens like spinach and kale can stand up to warm dressings. A classic spinach salad, wilted a bit with a warm dressing and paired with a warm and fruity Rhone-style blend (including Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre) can be stunning. The earthy qualities of the wine are enhanced by the mushrooms and crisp bacon in the salad, and the red fruit in the wine is a nice foil for the slight bitterness of the greens.

In a wine magazine a couple of years back, I read that Pinot Noir is the perfect Thanksgiving wine, with a bit of fruit, lively acidity, and the ability to support, not overwhelm, a variety of foods. Of course, experimentation was required.

Last year, I poured a variety of Pinots from all over the place with the main course: Burgundy, New Zealand, Russian River Valley, Oregon and Australia. They all worked. The restrained and earthy Burgundy was a revelation with the turkey itself, the rich and fruity California wine was outstanding with all of the meal, and the herbal and crisp New Zealand wine was lovely with vegetables.

This year, I’ll branch out and try other wines as well, but Pinot is a darn good go-to complement to a complex meal.

The word “pie” just sounds comfortable and friendly. A taste of a sweet dessert-style wine with a wedge of homemade pie is the perfect end to a celebration of food with friends and family. A traditional pecan pie is elevated from delicious to stunning with a wine that has notes of caramelized sugar and toffee. Try it with a 20-year-old tawny port or a good Madeira.

This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 3:28 PM with the headline "On Wine: Which wines pair well with your Thanksgiving experiences?."