What Wine Goes With Turkey?

Turkey? Check. Stuffing? Check. Candied sweet potatoes? Check.

What to drink with dinner? Oh, dear...

Choosing a wine to go with Thanksgiving dinner can be a challenge for hosts, said Maureen O'Malley, who runs  in Avon with partner Kathy Falin.

"They may not know what their guests like," she said.

Because turkey has both rich dark meat and light white meat, it can be hard to choose. 

Side dishes also play a part. If your food is very straightforward and simple without strong spices or seasonings, don't go for bold, strong wine like an oaky Chardonnay or a big Cabernet Sauvignon.

If most of your side dishes are sweet, such as candied yams, cranberry sauce and glazed carrots, O'Malley said, avoid sweeter wines.

"Wines should compliment what you're eating," she said. "A sweeter wine would be too much sweet with lots of sweet dishes."

Riesling is a popular choice for a white wine, O'Malley said. It can be sweet, dry or anywhere in between.

Pinot Noir works as a red wine because it's a smooth, drinkable wine without the strong tannins of a cabernet, Falin said.

A favorite Thanksgiving treat is the Beaujolais Nouveau. It comes out the week before Thanksgiving. It's a light red wine that works with the variety of flavors in a Thanksgiving dinner, O'Malley said.

How much wine to get is also a concern for hosts. Each bottle has about 6 glasses of wine in it, Falin said. Each guest having wine will drink between 1 and 3 glasses.

If your guests like beer, holiday ales like Great Lakes Christmas Ale are a great choice, O'Malley said.

Here are some suggestions from O'Malley and Falin to suit a variety of tastes:

• Viognier: White Knight, $11.99
• Riesling: Barnard & Griffin, $9.99
• Pinot Noir: Meiomi, $19.99
• Petit Noir: Petit, $12.99
• Beaujolais Nouveau: Georges DuBœuf, $10.99
• Red or white blend: Conundrum, $19.99

You can get some ideas on what might work for your dinner at a wine tasting from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Wines that work for the December holidays will be available at a tasting from 12 to 9 p.m. Friday. In honor of the Ohio State-Michigan game this weekend, there will be a beer tasting from 12 to 9 p.m. Saturday. Wine lovers can also sample wines during Saturday's tasting