Linden Update | November 1, 2021
Thanksgiving Wines: 2018 Petit Manseng demi-sec, 2018 Village Chardonnay, 2015 Claret, 2015 Late Harvest.(Photography by Anne-Catherine Fallen)
Thanksgiving
Vintage 2021 is a wrap. Hardscrabble Vineyard’s Petit Manseng grapes were picked and pressed last week. This was not the easiest vintage. Whiplash changes in weather made for challenging picking decisions and logistics. They say that stressed vines make the best wines. Could this also ring true with stressed winemakers? The new wines are settling down and slowly revealing nuanced personality. We are liking what we taste.
Once harvest comes to an end, our work days shift. Cleaning and storing of harvest and crush equipment will soon be finished. Cutting firewood, manuring the vines, and building stone walls are on this week’s agenda. And thoughts turn towards Thanksgiving, our favorite holiday. Though we can’t be there in person, we would be honored to be part of your celebration—in spirit at least. We have selected four wines for you to complement each course of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
Thanksgiving Four Pack
2018 Petit Manseng demi-sec
When guests gather and appetizers appear there is sure to be a diversity of preferences and flavors. The greeter wine has to multi-task. Petit Manseng is exotic, assertive, refreshing, and quaffable. We cannot think of any other wine that can pair with shrimp, oysters, cheese, hummus, chips, salsa, or guacamole.
2018 Village Chardonnay
This wine is showing beautifully now and is the perfect pairing with turkey and mashed potatoes. The combination of creamy texture and fresh acidity will make you go back for seconds.
2015 Claret
Stuffing (or dressing, depending on where your people are from) should be its own course. Every family seems to have their own special stuffing, but herbs are always involved. That’s why we brought the 2015 Claret out of the library. It has dried herbs on the nose along with a fresh cranberry-like finish. It would also pair well with dark turkey meat. This wine demands a place on the Thanksgiving table.
2015 Late Harvest
A field blend of 70% Petit Manseng and 30% Vidal, the 2015 Late Harvest is a dessert on its own. We prefer this sweet wine by itself or with a cheese course. Not sure about pumpkin pie. Your call.
Ordering
This Thanksgiving four pack is offered at $112 through Linden Direct. Through the rest of 2021 all shipping is free for four bottles or more to one address. Pick up arrangements can also be made in advance. Our 10% case discount applies to any purchase of twelve bottles including the four bottles in our offering. Linden ships via UPS to VA, MD, and DC.
For those of you having a non-traditional Thanksgiving, email us your menu and we would love to recommend pairing wines (some may be “off-list” but available for this special occasion).
Due to COVID concerns, our tasting room is closed, but we will continue to offer tasting seminars through December. Stay tuned for an email newsletter with details coming next week.
Linden Direct
We have modernized (for us) and streamlined purchasing for pickups and UPS shipping. Linden can now ship to Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. We do hope you will consider taking advantage of these options. During the summer we may need to delay shipping due to excessive heat.
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Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Update: October 13, 2021