Many of us will be toasting and giving thanks this year with a glass of wine in hand. Some will be traveling to see friends and family and plan on bringing a bottle as a gift. But most of us are not wine experts. To find out what wines go best with turkey, cranberry sauce, and a truckload of side dishes, I spoke with Adrian Murcia, assistant sommelier at Chanterelle Restaurant in Tribeca in NYC. Here are a few of his tips for picking the perfect wine:

Go Red:
Murcia's preference is a wine with a good fruit component, so he leans towards reds. But he says to look for wines that throttle back on the alcohol content. "These really big rich luscious reds - California cabs, Australian shiraz - they are lovely wines," he says, "but the purple, blockbuster red wines that are in fashion may not be the best for Thanksgiving."

The lower alcohol content wines tend to go better with food, in his opinion, and won't get the party out of control during dinner. Out of control is for after dinner.

Look to the Old World:
Where do you find good, flavorful reds with low alcohol content, but with good acidity and tannen to balance out the fruitiness? "Cooler climates, where the sun doesn't bake the grapes," advises Murcia.

Some Good Choices:
- Pinot noir from France (burgundy grapes)
- Chianti Classico from Italy (San Giovese grapes)
- Rioja from Spain (tempranillo grapes)

Try Rioja:
Murcia is a fan of Rioja wines, and runs the blog BlameItOnRioja.com. Why the attraction to these particular wines? "The region is made for wine production," he says. "It's very diverse with lots of climates to choose from, and they've had hundreds of years to perfect what they are doing."

Don't Spend a Fortune:
Many of the rioja wines Murcia likes can be had for about $10 per bottle, and should be readily available in most large wine stores.
Some good ones to look for are:
- Campo Viejo 2004 - as low as $7 per bottle.
- Conde De Valdemar 2004 - $10
- Palacio Glorioso 2003 or 2004 - $10

White With Apps:
Murcia recommends having a bottle of white wine on hand to have with appetizers, or while cooking. Nothing fancy, just something to help get you through the madness that's about to come.

"Go with a white bordeaux," he advises. "They have a nuttier flavor and may be more interesting than the really clean taste of some sauvignon blancs or the buttery sauvignons from California.

The semillion grape is used in a lot of white bordeauxs, which gives it a character that makes it unique. The viura grape and a chenin blanc are a good choices as well.

Try Different Whites:
If you're looking for something different than the usual white to bring, Murcia has a suggestion. "Lopez de Heredia makes a white wine that is similar in flavor to white bordeaux," he says. "They've made wine the same way for 150 years. Viura is the main grape they use, and their wines tend to be complex with the coconut and honey/nutty flavor you're looking for." Their entry level Viña Gravonia will run you about $20.

For more info, check out Adrian's blog, BlameItonRioja.com, or next time you're in NY, stop by the Chanterelle Restaurant and let him suggest a wine for you and your date.