Historians have made solid cases that the “first Thanksgiving” meal involving the Pilgrims and Native Americans never happened.
They say the story was concocted and included in history books to “create a sense of common heritage” for the children of immigrants who were coming to America from all over the world. It seems that the tradition of having turkey on the Thanksgiving table is much less “entrenched” than we’ve been led to believe.
Still, America raises a lot of turkeys, with most of the production centered in the South, where there is a rich tradition of tobacco farming. The No. 1 enemy of the tobacco plant is the hornworm, and turkeys love to munch on hornworms as much as we humans love to munch on, well, turkeys. According to farmers, 50 turkeys can protect 100,000 tobacco plants.
Once his hornworm duties are completed, however, a turkey faces an unpleasant fate: the roasting pan. And it’s not just Thanksgiving when a turkey needs to be watching his back. In the 34 years from 1970 to 2004, the average American’s annual consumption of turkey jumped from 8.1 to 17.4 pounds.
As you’ve probably figured out, today’s blog serves as an introduction to Vinesse TODAY’S annual countdown to Thanksgiving. Beginning Monday and continuing through Thanksgiving Eve, we’ll be sharing a good deal of information on the food and beverage possibilities surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday.
As you plan the big feast at your abode, you’ll want to check in with us daily for food and wine pairing ideas, party planning tips, recipes and more.
Whether that “first Thanksgiving” really happened or not, the next Thanksgiving — Thursday, November 28, 2013 — can be extremely enjoyable when you add wine to the mix.
