You know the holidays are looming when the sign announcing "free-run organic turkey" graces the display window of your favourite butcher shop.

Turkey may very well be the holiday standard - the high point of an otherwise hectic December. And with the fine fowl under one arm as you browse the shelves of the wine store, over the din of holiday Muzak, you may ask yourself:: What wine with turkey?

To get a handle on the best vino for turkey dinner, we assembled the keen, well-versed, and expert palates belonging to D.J. Kearney, sommelier and wine instructor at Dubrulle Culinary School, Michelle Bouffard, sommelier and wine expert at Marquis Wine Cellars, and Jay Jones, wine director and bar manager at West Restaurant.

Our tasting panel met at West and, with a delectable spread of turkey cooked by executive chef David Hawksworth, we set out to blind-taste a mix of 10 wines to discover the best match for the bird.

When it came to wine and food pairing, the turkey wasn't the only thing we kept in mind, however. "I don't actually like turkey, but I love the fixings," said Kearney. "The turkey is essentially the 'plate'". It was the more prominent flavours of the fixings, the gravy and the stuffing that ultimately determined the wine match.

Just as we were settling in to taste, Hawksworth emerged from the busy kitchen. "So, when do the family arguments start?" he asked.

Wines reviewed:

Best White - Hugel Gentil (France) $17.98

White Runners-Up:
Villa Maria Chardonnay Private Bin (New Zealand) $16.95
Pinto Reach Focus Riesling (BC) $22.95
Santa Julia Viognier (Argentina) $13.45

Best Red - Fossi Rosso (Italy) $10.95

Red Runners-Up:
The Fifteen Grenache (France) $19.99
Beringer California Zinfandel (California) $11.99)

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In a Class of its own
The Fort Wine Co. Cranberry Wine ($11.90)

The ringer wine of the bunch, we were pleased to find fruit wines have their place on the dinner table. Salmon-pink in colour, Jones described the wine succinctly: "This nose rules! Fun and spicy, the colour even looks festive." Though our tasting panel found the wine a tad simple on its own, it was "shockingly transformed" by the food and given high praise when paired with the cranberry sauce.

Stuffing suggestions: Almond, cranberry and maple.