Thanksgiving Holiday Meal Wine Pairing

Thanksgiving is around the corner and meal planning is in full force. You can’t have a holiday meal without some delicious wine! That would be unholiday like! I’m here to help you solve the mystery of what to pick and make your job easier.

Thanksgiving or any big holiday meal can be tricky to pick a wine that best goes with the meal because there are SO many flavors going on! Rather than trying to match wines to individual flavors or dishes, go for bottles that complement a wide variety of foods.

There are many schools of thought on Thanksgiving/turkey day wine pairing. The classic, traditional wines are Pinot Noir for Red, Riesling for Whites and Champagne for Sparkling. Below I will further list the classic pairing and why they do so well, and offer some new, fun wine options.

Red Wine: Light-bodied red wines with little/small amount of oak and soft medium tannins are a great option. These wines will have a ton of fruit and acid to compliment the meal but not overshadow the meal or dishes. Pinot Noir is food friendly wine with classic holiday flavors such as cranberry, red apple skin, dried leaves, and allspice. Gamay (Beaujolais) has fruit, earthy funk, and a hint of smokiness come together beautifully. Zinfandel or Syrah are also great options - ripe fruit, warm spice and medium tannins. Your turkey, ham or stuffing will love these wines.

White wine: Sauvignon blanc from the Loire Valley or Riesling both have all the citrus, minerality and acid your big meal needs to cut through the richness. Chenin Blanc from South Africa or Loire Valley -South African Chenin These wines won’t overpower the flavors of milder meats and sides.

Rosé - what can I say? A dry rosé has great acidity, it’s got fruit. Chill and it’s a refreshing wine to have with your turkey meal. Don’t forget a sparkling dry rosés will also work just like still dry rosés: They go with everything and the bubbles are always fun. Try a French Corsica Rosé, a Spanish Garnacha Rosado or a Rosé Champagne

Sparkling Wine Sparkling wines bring both elegance and phenomenal food-pairing versatility to virtually any meal. They shine at the Thanksgiving dinner table because they typically carry a decent dose of acidity while adding a festive flair to the table. Keep an eye out for Extra Brut (Extra-Dry/, less than 6g/L of sugar), Brut style could be a bit sweet to accompany a turkey meal. Try a Pares Balta Brut Cava (it only has 4.4g/L of sugar), a Mirabella Franciacorta (Italy’s luxury equivalent to Champagne) or a classic Champagne

Let’s not forget everyone’s favorite part of the meal - Desert! Pumpkin pie tends to be sweet with warm spices which means you need something equally sweet and luscious. Break out the Tawny Port to match with your Pumpkin Pie or a sweet Oloroso Sherry - both have the sweetness and richness to match for pumpkin pie.

Red Wine

Classic: Pinot Noir, Gamay, Zinfandel or Syrah

I would suggest trying:

Mencia, Bobal, Schiava, Lambrusco, Zweigelt, Primitivo or Cabernet Franc

Very food friendly wines that are light to medium bodied with light to medium tannins and most importantly higher acid.

Sparkling Wine

Classic: Champagne

I would suggest trying:

Cava, Crémant, South Africa Cap Classique or New World Sparkling wine - make sure it’s Extra Brut

The sparklers have the acidity and crispness to cut through the rich meal and make it festive.

White Wine

Classic: Dry Riesling, Sauvignon blanc, Pinot Gri/Grigio, unoaked Chardonnay

I would suggest trying:

Chenin Blanc, Gruner Veltliner, Verdejo, White Rhone Blend or Soave

The importance is the high acidity and flavors won’t overpower the meal.

Rosé Wine

Classic: Provence Rosé

I would suggest trying:

Corsica or northern Italy Rosé, Rosé Cava, Rosé Champagne

A dry version would be great with ham or turkey and the acid is a great palate cleanser