There is no better way to celebrate our most American of holidays than with a local or organic wine. Cork 57, a well-stocked beer and wine store at Bethesda Avenue and Arlington Boulevard, has a diverse selection of local and organic wines, and is always on the lookout for more.

Sommelier Brian Murphy of Cork 57 gave Patch a tour of its current selection and chose several local and organic wines to compliment the traditional Thanksgiving menu.

Organic wines are labeled with a large 'O' at Cork 57 so they are easy to locate in the store. What makes a wine organic?

"No chemicals, no pesticides and lower sulfite content," Murphy said. "Some organic wines are vegan. Egg whites are part of the filtration process for making wine, and a vegan wine eliminates the egg whites from that process." 

Murphy's first recommendations for organic wine to pair with Thanksgiving dinner are the Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay produced by Terra Savia of Mendocino, Calif. He also suggested the Zinfandel from Orleans Hills Winery in Stockton, Calif. 

Tiamo's Pino Grigio from Venice, Italy, is a good white wine choice for Thanksgiving and happens to be one of the most popular organic wines, Murphy said: "We have a hard time keeping it in the store." 

For wines that are organic, sulfite-free and vegan, Murphy recommended Our Daily Red's Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon.

"It's not as full bodied as most Cabernets but it's very nice," he said. "Our Daily Red is also a California winery located in Nevada City, Calif."

Cork 57 has increased its selection of local wines due to growing customer interest in 'drinking local.'

"People have been asking so we've stepped it up for local wines," Murphy explained.  

For local wines that go well with Thanksgiving turkey, Murphy suggested a Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon or Circe – a Bordeaux blend – from Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard in Comus, located on the border of Montgomery and Frederick counties. The Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon from Elk Run Vineyards, in nearby Mount Airy, are other good choices. Local wineries produce both red and white wines, but Murphy especially praised Maryland's white wines.

"The Maryland whites are great right now," Murphy said.

St. Michael's Winery, located on the Chesapeake Bay in St. Michael's has an excellent white wine that is a blend of Seyval and Chardonnay, as well as a Merlot that would also be great to serve with Thanksgiving dinner.

Most "locavores" consider 'local' to be within 100 miles, but Murphy extends his local wine recommendations to include wines from New York state, focusing on wines from the North Fork of Long Island and the Finger Lakes region.

"I went to school in the Finger Lakes region, and I know the wineries and the wines," he said.

Murphy's choice for a Finger Lakes wine for Thanksgiving? Fox Run Vineyard's Riesling.

"This is a really good wine. It's a fantastic Thanksgiving wine," Murphy said. "The sweetness goes great with Thanksgiving fare." 

Murphy also singled out Jamesport Vineyards, located on the North Fork of Long Island, suggesting their Chardonnay or Cinq, a Bordeaux blend, for Thanksgiving. He praises the North Fork in general for producing excellent wines.

"You taste the wines blind and you're never going to tell they come from Long Island," Murphy said.

I ended up purchasing the Jamesport Cinq for my Thanksgiving table, and I look forward to tasting one of Murphy's recommendations.

Murphy's choice? "A Chardonnay or Cab from Terra Savia would be my pick."

Whatever your choice this Thanksgiving, Cork 57 has a wide selection, and we enjoyed Murphy's expertise and recommendations. So, Patch will team up with Murphy again in late December as he takes us through a selection of organic champagnes to toast the New Year. Until then, Happy Thanksgiving!