North Bay Woman

NBW October 2016

North Bay Woman Magazine

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F A L L 2 0 1 6 | NORTH BAY WOMAN 45 Celebrate at home with Leslie All the kitchen is a stage for holiday guests at the Sbrocco home. Leslie Sbrocco pairs wines with festive holiday dinners. – Photos by Stuart Lirette F or Leslie Sbrocco, host of "Check, Please! Bay Area," the holiday season is not a time to strive for Martha Stewart-like perfection. Because she travels so much of the year, visiting wine regions around the world and making appearances on the "Today" show, Sbrocco relishes the oppor- tunity to host fun, laid-back holiday feasts in her Petaluma home. Each Thanksgiving, she cooks a turkey dinner for 25 to 30 family members, friends and neighbors, and serves it on a huge makeshift table in her living room. Wine is a major part of the meal, starting with the bird itself. "My trick with the turkey is, I put rosemary, oranges and lemons in- side it, and maybe some sage," she says. "Then I smother it with wine. Talk about a drunken bird, this thing is smashed!" Sbrocco uses a sweet wine such as a Riesling, or a tawny port, for bast- ing, and keeps it flowing throughout the cooking process. "I probably pour four bottles of wine over the turkey," she says. "The gravy is out of this world, and it keeps the bird moist." She also makes a spicy sausage dressing and cranberry sauce. Her sister pitches in with vegetable sides, and her mom makes the pies. Because there are so many dishes and flavors involved, she serves a variety of wines throughout the meal. "I'm fairly traditional in my picks," she says. "There are always bubbles — always." Sbrocco's go-to local sparklers include the Gloria Ferrer from Sonoma and Schramsberg from the Napa Valley. For still whites, she prefers Riesling, such as an older wine from Germany's Dr. Loosen or Eroica from Washington state. "You've got this cacophony of flavors — there's sweet, salty and sour in the meal — so an oaky, buttery Chardonnay is like a punch in the face," she says. "It doesn't work at all. If you're a Chardonnay lover, however, there are options. Look for one with crisp, fresh fruit flavors like New Zealand's Chard icon, Kumeu River." Rosé wine is another favorite. Sbrocco drinks pink year round. "We always have at least one on the table," Sbrocco says. "A perfect holiday pink for sipping and gift giving is named Gifft from Kathie Lee Gifford. This Pinot Noir Rosé is dry yet succulent with sa- vory spice notes. At $15, it's a wine to buy by the case to enjoy with family and friends." Sbrocco avoids red wines that tend to be heavy in oak and tannins, such as Cabernet Sauvignon. "A really beautiful Anderson Valley Pinot Noir is great, because it has elegance, but it's still round and juicy and fruity," she says. "We have Golden- eye when we want to splurge, and we usually drink Jamie Kutch's wine from the Sonoma Coast." After the main meal, Sbrocco says, she opens dessert wine. Sbrocco's wine cellar holds many favorites. – Photo by Stuart Lirette

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