Thanksgiving Wine
Thanksgiving dinner can be a tough meal to match with wine. Turkey isn’t so challenging, but throw in a dozen different sides, and it can be overwhelming trying to find the perfect match.
Here are some of my best suggestions, all available on wine.com:
Pinot Noir
This is the most obvious red wine for Thanksgiving, and it’s a great choice. Not too tannic, and not too heavy with nice bright acid, Pinot Noir plays nicely with most things on the table, including fussy family members who all like different types of red. Au Bon Climat might be my favorite American Pinot Noir of all time. Year after year, this wine has great cranberry and cherry fruit flavors with a touch of spice, and more of a lighter old world French style than a new world heaviness. The 2022 is available now on wine.com for $27.99.
Dry Riesling
If you’re not a red wine drinker or you’d like to have some white on the table too, dry Riesling is a great way to go on Thanksgiving. I love Anthony Road Riesling from the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. You’ve got bright acidity here as well, with some orchard fruits like apple and pear and really nice stone and mineral flavors. This wine is just $21.99 on wine.com and gets 90 points from James Suckling. I don’t know about your family’s kitchen on Thanksgiving, but ours gets hot, dinner is usually late, and a cool refreshing Riesling is just what you need to survive the insanity.
Rosé
Rosé can be a surprising Thanksgiving pick, because most people associate it with summer picnics and pool days. But, rosé is a really versatile wine. If you’re worried that a pink wine might be too sweet, always go with a French rosé from Provence. They are always dry—there are rules in the region that limit the residual sugar in rosé wines. My personal favorite is Wölffer Summer in a Bottle Côtes de Provence. Wölffer Estate on Long Island is legendary for its rosés, and this one, made in France, just might be their best yet. Plus, the bottle is beautiful. It’s just $22.99 on wine.com.
Champagne
Champagne is always a good idea at the holidays. It always sets the right tone for a celebratory evening. But Champagne isn’t just for toasts, it’s also fabulous with food. Champagne is a great choice if you’re frying your turkey this Thanksgiving. The vibrant bubbles and acidity in Champagne are fantastic with rich, salty, fried foods. It will work with everything from your appetizers to your buttery mashed potatoes. I adore Jasmine Monet’s Black Edition Extra Brut Sparkling Wine from Argentina. It’s a Champagne method sparkling wine that can be tough to find, but give it a Google search. It’s around $19.99 and well worth a little leg work to find it. I also love Nicolas Feuillatte Reserve Exclusive Brut. At $42.99 on wine.com, it’s one of the best-priced quality Champagnes from France.
If you’re struggling to find the right wine for your family, just do your best to avoid really heavy reds or overly oaky whites—they’re too much with such a heavy meal.
And at the end of the day, remember, your Thanksgiving wine doesn’t have to be the perfect match, it just has to taste great to the person holding the glass. My family is notorious for pouring big bold Napa Cabernets on Thanksgiving. Are they too heavy? Absolutely. Are my uncles happy as hell with them? They sure are! And that’s all that really matters.
Have a great Thanksgiving, whatever you pour.
