Carica Wines

Carica Wines
1325 Canal Blvd., Richmond
415.902-7514 | www.CaricaWines.com

Best wine for a typical turkey dinner:  We like to start with a dry, crisp white wine, like Carica 2010 Sauvignon Blanc with appetizers or the first course. Winemaker Charlie Dollbaum recommends the Carica 2011 Grenache with roast turkey and all the sides, because this medium-bodied wine’s fruit and spice flavors are not overwhelmed by assertive stuffing, deeply flavored roast vegetables, and sauces. The crisp, citrus-y quality of the wine perfectly complements the richness of foods like turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, and vegetable gratin.

Best wine for a holiday fish feast:  Crisp and dry in the classic French style, the floral aroma and citrusy notes of Carica 2010 Sauvignon Blanc perfectly complement a range of seafood selections.

Best wine for a plant-centric feast:  Carica 2010 Rhone-style Red Blend ‘Siren’ has complexity, depth, and balance to draw out the varied flavors of roasted vegetable gratins, savory pilafs, and piquant salads.

Best wine to go with a spicy dessert: Not a “sticky” dessert wine fan? A smoky, deeply fruity (but dry) wine like Carica 2010 Petite Sirah could be a surprising friend of a spicy, moderately sweet dessert.

Wild Card: Both our traditional after-Thanksgiving turkey mole or a classic day-after sandwich of roast turkey and cranberry sauce are complemented by a blended red wine like the Carica Rhone-style Red Blend. Called “the Siren,” it’s a classic blend of syrah, with its intense fruit flavor, plus grenache and mourvèdre, with their nuance of spice and earthiness. These flavors complement the savory mole (an aromatic and savory Mexican sauce of roasted chiles, herbs, seeds, spices, and unsweetened chocolate), and are bold enough to stand up to a piquant cranberry sauce, and mellow enough to let the turkey goodness shine.