Top Picks From the Wine Cellar: A variety to sample for Thanksgiving

When family and friends gather for Thanksgiving dinner, diverse personalities, political opinions and tastes invariably convene at the table. A variety of dishes with clashing flavors adds fuel to the hubbub. Lest you despair, remember this potentially volatile mix also creates a terrific opportunity to serve fun wines.

One bottle just will not do. Instead liven up the party with an intriguing selection of wines of varying hues, aromas and flavors. With any luck, lively wine discussions will steer everybody clear of politics and family frictions.

Try the following tasty selections:

• It all starts with the Bocksbeutel bottle with the delicious 2018 Michael Fröhlich, Silvaner, Erste Lage Escherndorfer Lump V.D.P., Franken, Germany (Luxury 80918; $19.99). The pot-bellied, flattened Bocksbeutel features an eagle on the capsule, and in Germany’s Franken region only the top wines come in this type of bottle. Here veteran winegrower Michael Fröhlich uses Silvaner grapes cultivated in a single top site, the Lump vineyard in the village of Escherndorf.

This south-facing slope affords the vines plenty of sunshine and shelter from cold winds. Fröhlich deftly captures his Silvaner grapes’ delicate blend of fruitiness and freshness. The wine opens with aromas of ripe peaches and citrus. In the glass, juicy peach flavors strike a fine balance with notes of tart quince, grapefruit and lime zest through the fruity, but dry finish. This beauty keeps you coming back for one sip after the other. Highly Recommended.

• Thanks to the Vosges Mountains’ sheltering presence, the Alsace village of Westhalten in northeastern France enjoys dry and sunny conditions resembling those of the Mediterranean coast. Meanwhile complex stony soils give the fruit lively personality, while steady winds ventilate the village’s steep slopes to preserve freshness. The vines for the delicious 2017 Agathe Bursin, Riesling Dirstelberg, Alsace (Luxury 81126; $24.99) grow on sandstone substrates in a top Westhalten vineyard cultivated by meticulous winegrower Agathe Bursin. The vigneronne studied in Burgundy and then worked in Chablis and the Rhône Valley before returning to Westhalten in 2000 to take full advantage of the Bursin family’s marvelous vineyards.

This wine’s lovely golden color offers pineapple and floral aromas. In the glass, full-bodied, concentrated flavors of tropical fruit, ripe apples and honey balance with zesty, uplifting acidity and a touch of tannins. A full-bodied and fruity, yet essentially dry finish lingers delightfully. This wine will confound skeptics who think all Rieslings are too sweet and wimpy. Highly Recommended.

No wine enlivens a Thanksgiving meal more than a highly aromatic Gewürztraminer. Folks either adore or dislike it, but they cannot ignore it. Try the delightful 2017 Domaine Schoffit, Gewürztraminer, Harth Lieu-Dit “Cuvée Caroline,” Alsace, France (Luxury 77890; $24.99), a delicious white from dedicated father and son Alsace winegrowers, Bernard and Alexandre Schoffit.

After hand-picking grapes from 50-year-old vines cultivated with organic and biodynamic practices, the winegrowing duo uses fermentation in stainless steel tanks to capture intense aromas of pineapples and roses. On the palate, concentrated, ripe pineapple, peach and honey flavors balance with zesty acidity and mouthwatering freshness. The wine finishes off dry but well-balanced. Highly Recommended.

• Easy drinking, fruity reds always make a welcome splash at Thanksgiving dinner. Start with the delectable 2017 Pedroncelli Winery, Pinot Noir “Signature Selection,” Sonoma County Russian River Valley, California (Luxury 80289; $19.99). The fruit comes from cool climate Pinot Noir vineyards just 12 miles away from the winery in the warmer Geyersville district.

The grapes pre-soaked and fermented in stainless steel tanks. Aging for eight months took place in French oak with 25% new barrels. The resulting wine offers ripe plum and black cherry aromas with hints of rose petals and light smokiness. Juicy black cherry flavors follow with medium concentration, zesty freshness and elegant tannins. A well-balanced and delicious red to please the crowd. Recommended.

• Grower Noël Bulliat and his son Loïc produce outstanding wines from organically grown fruit at the Beaujolais-Villages level. Their cru Beaujolais 2018 Vignobles Bulliat, Moulin-à-Vent, France (Luxury 81429; $17.99) is even better and delivers tremendous value. The wine comes from Gamay grapes grown in south-facing vineyards of pink manganese and crumbly granite. The terroir highlights vibrant fruitiness, ample acidity and concentration.

Fermentation with indigenous yeasts in concrete vats preserves the grapes’ natural traits. The wine’s fetching ruby color opens with red raspberry and blackberry aromas with subtle earthiness. Firm, zesty red fruits follow in the glass with crunchy acidity and firm, but elegant tannins. A delicious, pretty wine. Highly Recommended.

• For a gutsy, personality-laden expression of cru Beaujolais, try the distinctive 2017 Nicolas Chemarin, Régnié “Le Haute Ronze,” France (Luxury 81030; $23.99 — Centre Avenue Premium Collection Store only). Dedicated vigneron Nicolas Chemarin meticulously works approximately 15 acres of head-trained vines primarily in Marchampt for his signature “P’tit Grobis” Beaujolais-Villages wine. This wine, however, comes from a small plot of head-pruned vines in nearby commune of Régnié where fine, pink granite soils predominate.

After harvesting by hand, fermentation occurs with native yeasts in concrete vats. The crop ferments with whole clusters, stems and all. Aging occurs for nine months in French barrels of four to 10 years old before Chemarin adds only minimal sulfites for bottling. The wine opens with ripe dark fruit and distinct earthy aromas. Firm, dark fruit unfolds in the glass with scintillating freshness in exquisite balance with firm, yet ripe, stemmy tannins. Decant it for an hour or two before serving. Highly Recommended.