Gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, veggies and the big bird followed by a huge slice of pumpkin pie smothered with Cool Whip.

The family and friends are gathered around with great anticipation, knowing that soon belts will be loosed, bellies will swell up like hot air balloons and a thousand dirty plates will not be cleaned by the kitchen fairy and refuse to disappear. And, of course, a lot wine will be both spilled and drank, because Thanksgiving is a wonderfully messy holiday, and the biggest wine holiday of them all.

If you take a hard look at your family and friends, you discover life is a lot like a TV sitcom. It seems there are just two kinds of families: The Addams Family and the Brady Bunch. My family fits the Addams Family profile more, but there are always a few smiling Bradys around to throw a wrench in the works. Most of the folk in this big-bird Thursday gathering are people who you would probably flip off if you saw them driving by on the freeway and you didn’t know them.

When it comes to matching this heavy big-bird meal with wine, there are plenty of options to choose from. But first, beware of the misfits that really only belong with a crab salad, like cheapie pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc. Now, if Aunt Emma or Uncle Horace insists on having these wines with the giant turkey, let it slide. Wine correctness, like political correctness, can be annoying, particularly on a holiday like Thanksgiving.

Another thing to remember is not to mention the turkey as the “big bird” if there are any very young children around. They may think you have chopped off and roasted the head of their favorite Sesame Street character. Crying is not allowed at the feast. It is hard enough that there is always a vegetarian at the dinner who shakes his or her head and gives a little frown at the beautiful roasted bird. I just roll my eyes

So it is important to take the worry out of Thanksgiving. When it comes to wine, the first rule of thumb is to have lots of it; you don’t want to have to cram your overfed body into your tiny VW bug to drive to the liquor store to buy more wine.

Now on with the food and wine pairing. If your great Aunt Zelda, who is 98 years young, has a sweet tooth (even though she’s been toothless since 1958), it is always good to go with riesling, and the vast majority of domestic riesling is sweet and cheerfully cheap. The producers I recommend that you can find at most grocery stores are: Firestone, Columbia Crest and J. Lohr. These wines usually cost less than $10 dollar. The reason riesling is good with Thanksgiving is that the sugars and acids are good contrast to the heaviness of the meal.

Another favorite for the big feast is gewürztraminer. It has a spicy nutmeg nuance that is just great with turkey. Most gewürztraminer is slightly sweet and has good acids, similar to riesling. I like Chateau St. Michelle, Blackstone and Beringer.

Burgundy wines, like chardonnay and pinot noir, are always welcome. There seems to be a thousand choices – and there are. The crowd pleasers are La Crema and Castle Rock. Chateau St. Jean and Robert Mondavi get honorable mentions.

Another light red wine that goes with the feast is beaujolais. Light and fruity, it can be chilled like a white wine. The fruitiness is a good contrast to the heaviness of the meal. Beaujolais nouveau is very fruity, a bit sweet and is a very good choice. The best producers are Jadot and Duboeuf.

Other wines to serve with the Thanksgiving meal are zinfandel and petite sirah. Both are spicy and have a peppery flavor that compliments the big bird. I recommend Rancho Zabaco, Ravenswood and Ridge.

Happy Thanksgiving!