2018 Piazza Del Dotto Estate Family Reserve Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

If you’re opting for prime rib or roast duck instead of turkey at the Thanksgiving table, a bottle of 2018 Piazza Del Dotto Estate Family Reserve Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon would make for a splendid partner.

Family-owned for more than three decades, this winery with operations in St. Helena and Napa focuses on small-production Cabernet made from estate-grown grapes. These particular grapes come from the Oakville AVA, known for producing wines of powerful yet smooth textures.

This wine, of which I received a sample, is no exception. Deep purple garnet in the glass, it exudes notes of black cherries, currants, graphite and cedar with a touch of anise, and sage. It has firm tannins, making it a robust wine able to stand up to showy centerpiece meat dishes.

At $250, it’s a splurge, but worthy of a special occasion. Find the wine at the winery.

Cheers: If you’re spending your winter holidays up in the Napa Valley, Del Dotto offers tastings by reservation only at its three properties: the Piazza Del Dotto Winery & Caves in Napa, with a vegetable garden, Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards, and a barn with turkeys, peacocks, pheasants, and doves; the Del Dotto Estate Winery & Caves in St. Helena, with its striking Venetian architecture; and the historic Del Dotto Winery & Caves in Napa, which dates back to 1885.

2022 Overshine Pinot Noir

For me, Pinot Noir is usually the go-to varietal for Thanksgiving. Like Goldilocks’ favored porridge, this varietal is typically not too light nor too heavy, but just right for the classic holiday spread of dishes.

The 2022 Overshine Pinot Noir ($38), of which I received a sample, exemplifies that with juicy raspberry, cherry, and pomegranate notes along with invigorating acidity. Take a sip after enjoying a forkful of roasted turkey with cranberry sauce and you’ll know what I mean.

Based in Healdsburg, the Overshine Wine brand was established just this year by David Drummond, former chief legal officer for Alphabet, Google’s parent company, and winemaker Sam Bilbro and operations director Thomas DeBiase, both of Healdsburg’s Idlewild Wines, which is now part of Overshine.

Find the wine at Overshine Wine Company in Healdsburg or the Overshine Tasting Room in Capitola.

Cheers: David Drummond isn’t the only one in his family who’s made a big name for himself. His elder brother Ray is a renowned jazz bassist who has performed regularly at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival, which is how David came to fall in love with the Sonoma County town.

2022 Bella Sirena Falanghina Beneventano

No matter the holiday spread, there are some folks in my family who will only drink white wines. They like what they like. I get it, so this 2022 Bella Sirena Falanghina Beneventano ($28), of which I received a sample, is sure to be right up their alley.

It may not have the name recognition of Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, but Flanghina is an ancient white wine grape grown in the volcanic soils of the Campagnia region of Italy.

You’ll have to get up close and personal with this label. That’s because its lettering is embossed in the same color as the off-white label. Distinctive to be sure, but easy to read? Maybe not so much.

What’s inside, though, will captivate with its light straw color and lemony aroma. On the palate, there’s pear, plus a hint of apricot, along with plenty of acidity. It’s akin to a brighter, lighter, and crisper non-oaky Chardonnay.

While fish and seafood are ideal matches for this wine, roast turkey with mashed or scalloped potatoes will go just fine, too.

Find the wine on the Bella Sirena website, Riverhead Liquor Mart, and Midway Wine & Liquors.

Cheers: Bella Sirena is Italian for “beautiful mermaid,” an apt name chosen by company CEO Jacqueline Marcus when she took her first taste of the Falanghina grape while visiting the Amalfi Coast.