Vienna Wine Experts Make Their Suggestions for Your Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and the turkey isn't the only thing you have to worry about.

What wine might you serve your friends and family, that goes well with Thanksgiving dinner (and perhaps before and after)?

You can stop by Vienna Vintner, 233 Maple Ave. E, this Saturday (Nov. 23) from noon to 5 p.m., when owner Victor Mendes will have at least a dozen bottles (both reds and whites) open, along with homemade turkey and ham to sample, between sips.

Patch talked to two wine experts Thursday and here's what we found out:

• Bringing a hostess gift? If you're bringing wine as a hostess gift (or if your guests bring you a gift of wine) go ahead and open it! "Not to sound too cliche, but wine is best enjoyed with friends," said Matthew Zepp, wine buyer and general manager at Norm's Beer and Wine, 136 Branch Road, SE in Vienna. Norm's specializes in wines from the West Coast — California, Washington and Oregon.

• Let's Get Started. You've greeted your guests, but you're still busy in the kitchen figuring out if all your side dishes will be ready on time. What to serve to kick off a festive occasion? "When someone arrives, keep in mind, you're going to be eating and drinking all day, so start with something light, like a Prosecco [an Italian sparkling wine] or a Cava, a sparkling wine from Spain," suggest Mendes, at Vienna Vintner. You can expect to pay about $12 to $20.

• Carve and Pour. With a turkey dinner, Zepp suggests serving a Pinot Noir. "It lends itself perfectly with Thanksgiving, it doesn't overwhelm," he says. You can find Pinot Noirs from $8.99 on up to the $70 range. Another idea? Champagne. "It was actually created to pair with dinners," he says. Mendes at Vienna Vintner suggests serving a red Zinfandel. "It's ideal with Thanksgiving dinner, medium-bodied, not too heavy," he says.

• Port 'n a Puff? If you're going to go all out and have a few puffs of a cigar after Thanksgiving dinner, you'll want to pair it with Port, Zepp says. "A nice cigar on a cool evening after dinner would be a very nice pairing with Port," he says. "It's a fortified wine, for the most part it's red, it's going to be kind of sweet and heavy," Zepp says. "It's definitely something you only have two to three ounces of...it's a nice sipper, it's very warming, 18 to 20 percent alcohol. It's a very lush and heavy wine."

• Francis Ford Coppola Votre Santa Pinot Noir...$12.99
• Noble Vines "667" Pinot Noir...$15.99
• Pali Wine Co. Pinot Nor "Rivera"...$19.99
• Elk Cove Pinot Noir...$26.99
• Belle Glos "Dairyman Vineyard" Pinot Noir...$45.99