Schade Creek Offers Perfect Wine Pairings for Thanksgiving Fare

When you're planning that all-important Thanksgiving dinner, you'll need the right wine to go with it.

Jana Schade, co-owner of Schade Creek Vineyard & Winery, says the Waukee winery has a little something for everyone and every dish you're planning for your big holiday dinner. 

“We strive to make really good Iowa wines – from dry and crisp whites to earthy reds, and scrumptious sweet wines,” said Schade.

Schade, a graduate of the Iowa Culinary Institute, gave her recommendations for the perfect pairings this Thanksgiving. Schade Creek wines are not sold at the winery but you can purchase them at area Casey's General Stores and Hy-Vee Grocery Stores:

The Friends - The Friends wine from Schade Creek is as dry a white as you will find from this winery.  Much like a Sauvignon Blanc, Friends offers a crisp, elegant, and fresh flavor for your palate. You will find lemongrass, citrus blends, white peach, and Meyer lemon on the nose of this wine.  Serve it slightly chilled and it pairs well with fish or cheese, particularly Chevre. 

“We recommend this wine with the appetizer course…serve it with cheese, bread, crab cakes, crab dip, spinach and artichoke dip, or anything with seafood or lemon in the recipe," said Schade.

Vineyard Sunrise - Vineyard Sunrise is a semi-sweet white wine made from Vignoles grapes and offers a sweet tropical fruit aroma along with peaches and apricots.  The wine not only tastes great on its own, but there is a Vineyard Sunrise cocktail recipe on the back as well. This wine works wonderfully for a brunch – pair it with ham, mild cheeses such as cheddar, Gouda, or smoked white cheddar cheese, egg dishes/casseroles, as well as bread and fruit.

Soul Mates -  Soul Mates is a semi-sweet white wine made from Edelweiss grapes and if you like a nice, smooth Pinot Grigio, you'll like this wine, said Schade. With a nice fruit on the nose, this wine pairs well with pork dishes including ham and pork chops, and any type of cheesy potatoes as well as a variety of cheeses from mild Gouda to a big Gorgonzola. 

Laguna Aftanoona and Sunsets - This is a “foodie” red wine made from Foch grapes. This wine is medium dark and ruby red with red raspberry and sour cherry flavors on the tongue. It is a Beaujolais-style of wine and it is ready for a nice, juicy steak on the grill, pizza – when you get tired of holiday leftovers, burgers, spaghetti, etc.  Pork dishes also pair well with this wine as does a variety of cheeses such as Brie, Aged Goat, Dry Jack, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Pecorino, and Pecorino Romano.

Crème de la Crème Blanc - This is a fruit-forward wine made from Niagara grapes and is reminiscent of tasting table grapes right off the vine. The nose is a bit sweeter than the Soul Mates and it offers an herbal scent which gives way to golden apple flavors and a hint of butterscotch. This wine works well with dessert - pair it with nearly any flavor pie – but it works very well with pumpkin, sugar cookies, fruit desserts, as well as layered desserts such as white or lemon cakes or pudding desserts.  This wine won a gold medal in the Mid America Wine Competition in July when it was paired with strawberries and crème anglais. 

Schade said the winery also offers a White Zinfandel-style wine called Ghetto Fab that pairs well with saltier holiday foods like ham, casseroles and mashed potatoes.

"The wine sold so well this year, there are limited quantities available at present," said Schade. “What remains of this wine is out in Casey’s General Stores and Hy-Vee stores. We will have more of this wine available in the coming weeks."

For more information on Schade Creek, vist the website at: www.schadecreek.com.