Talking turkey - first the brine, then the wine

Here is an excerpt from Craig LaBan's online chat:

Reader: Doing my bird on my Weber (propane) this year. Any tips? Is a brine necessary? Do I still season and stuff as normal?

C.L.: Take a look at my story linked here (http://www.philly.com/LaBanBBQbird) regarding grilling turkeys. (Note: I now cook mine on a Big Green Egg grill, but that Weber served me well for many, many years.) I used charcoal, but you can do this with gas, too, as long as you have enough burners for indirect cooking. I'd resist putting stuffing in the bird on the grill - getting it properly cooked is tricky enough without the extra insulation slowing it down. Brining? It's a must now, especially on the grill, because it makes the bird forgivingly juicy no matter how much you overdo it. There's a lot of salt permeating the meat from the brine, so go easy on the salt when seasoning the exterior. Other seasonings (like the herbes de Provence or smoked paprika I use) should be applied generously.

Reader: Craig's grilled turkey recipe is seriously awesome. I highly suggest just following it.

C.L.: It is a good recipe - but I still get stressed out every year before lighting the coals. As a hedge against error, I've added a new gadget to my grill - a BBQ guru computerized thermostat that automatically monitors the grill and meat temperature and controls the heat with a little fan. I'm giving it a test-run on brisket this weekend . . .

Reader: I, too, am doing the bird on the Big Green Egg this year, and brining is a must. I also recommend sitting it on a beer can or turkey sitter! Yep - beer can turkey. God bless America. As for wines for Thanksgiving, it seems like there are an unlimited number of good reds. What are some of your most memorable Turkey Day wines? I am debating between a Drouhin Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, or an older ('97) California cab that should have mellowed by now (but big enough to stand up to my beer can turkey).

C.L.: Beer always makes things better, but I'm going with what works, as my bird (about 20 pounds) is a little too large for that kind of stand-up acrobatics. I can barely close the lid as it is. As for memorable T-day wines, the rules are wide open because of this meal's divergent flavors, so I've covered the gamut. From your choices, I'd go for the Drouhin, one of Oregon's great pinots. I generally try to stay American and affordable (given the crowds), but I've had success with sparkling wine (Schramsberg or Roederer Anderson Valley), off-dry Riesling (CSM Eroica), spicy red zin (Renwood, Biale, Rosenblum, Ridge), pinot (Rodney Strong, Drouhin, affordable Sebastiani), and sweet Madeira to finish. (Philly Colonials were big on Madeira; G. Washington drank casks of it.) But, I'd keep the cab in the cellar. Even well-aged, I think it will be lost on turkey. Save it for the New Year's roast.

Reader: For my Thanksgiving wines, I will be starting my meal with The FMC from South Africa (best chenin in the world) and finishing up with Paradocx Vineyards Touriga!

C.L.: Those are great ideas, something with a touch of sweetness and acidity to launch the meal, and a taste of Portugal (the Touriga) via Chester County! Paradocx makes interesting wines, but I've yet to try the Touriga . . . very intriguing, and just the kind of experimentation with alternatives to the usual grape suspects (cab, chard, etc.) required for local winemakers to find their niche.

Reader: For Turkey Day wines, I've got a couple of classics in mind - a Morgon or maybe Moulin-à-Vent (especially one I recently had, a 2009 Thibault Liger-Belair) and a Soave Classico (maybe one from Inama).

C.L.: Good ideas on the Morgon and Moulin - both great examples of Cru Beaujolais (not that light and fruity nouveau), a classic Thanksgiving pairing with just the right weight to handle all the flavors without overwhelming any part of the meal.

Reader: How about a good Chateauneuf du Pape for T-day? (Actually, can't say I have ever had a bad one!)

C.L.: Yes, this is another common Thanksgiving pairing, because Chateauneuf matches well with the meal's gamier flavors. (Giblet gravy and dark meat? Wild mushroom wild stuffing? Pass the Vieux Telegraphe!) But if you want to keep the domestic theme, there are plenty of Cali Rhone Rangers. That's why I thought of Tablas Creek, owned by the Perrin family of Chateau de Beaucastel, which is one of my all-time favorites.

Reader: I was very pleased to see that Garces Trading Co. is doing pies for T-giving this year! Pecan bourbon dark chocolate, gingersnap pumpkin, and my personal favorite-sounding, maple bacon apple. I may order one to have for breakfast Thursday morning!

C.L.: That's a good suggestion - Garces has a skilled pastry department.

I just called GTC: maple bacon apple is $25, the other two are each $30. OK, Iron Chef, you will get more of my money.