Thanksgiving is really not about surprises. As a holiday, our turkey-centric feast around the table is about comfort, tradition, family, togetherness, and — if your eccentric uncle Nate insists on making it about how there is no actual proof that the Earth is not flat — putting up with family, not all of whom are, let’s say, grounded. And so with wine.
Springing oddball wines on people for Turkey Day is a bad proposition. My advice boils down to a very simple, classic “give the people what they want.” Sure, a California Cabernet is less edgy than an organic Kékfrankos from Hungary, but with ol’ flat-earther Nate at the table, you’ve got enough edgy right there.
Lastly, why not stick to U.S. wines during the holiday this year ? We’re one of the great wine-producing countries of the world, and if there’s any holiday that’s a celebration of home and hearth, Thanksgiving is it. Here are 20 fantastic American wines to drink right now.
MORGAN HUNT WARD / FOOD STYLING by EMILY NABORS HALL / PROP STYLING by JULIA BAYLESS
4 festive sparkling wines
2024 Que Pop Session Rosé ($21)
Low in alcohol (only 7%), effusively sparkling, and a lot of fun, this rosé-hued bubbly, made from Pinot Noir grown on the Sonoma Coast, comes from Marine Layer winemaker Rob Fischer. The clever name (think K-pop) is a nod to his Korean heritage.
2022 Argyle Brut ($30)
Argyle, founded in 1987, effectively launched sparkling wine in Oregon and to this day is one of the top producers. (Founder Rollin Soles eventually left to start his own winery, Roco.) This is a great, all-purpose bubbly for toasts or sipping straight through the meal.
Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut ($32)
Year in and year out, Roederer Estate’s multivintage sparkling brut is one of the great values in California wine; no real surprise, as its parent company Champagne Louis Roederer has been making great bubbles since all the way back in 1776.
2021 Roco Winery RMS Brut ($65)
Oregon sparkling wine guru Rollin Soles founded Roco Winery in 2003 and ever since has made some of the state’s best sparkling wines there. His RMS Brut shows that Willamette Valley bubbly can easily compete with Champagne for complexity and depth.
MORGAN HUNT WARD / FOOD STYLING by EMILY NABORS HALL / PROP STYLING by JULIA BAYLESS
6 white and rosé wines to pair with everything
2023 Charles Krug Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($23)
Proof that good Napa Valley wines don’t have to cost a fortune, this white glides along on its tropical fruit and zesty lime flavors. It has hints of dried herbs, but not the green-pepperiness of many New Zealand versions.
2024 Ferrari-Carano Dry Sangiovese Rosé ($24)
Sangiovese, the principal grape of Chianti, gets a California spin in this lightly strawberry-scented rosé from Sonoma County’s Ferrari-Carano. It’s medium-bodied and lingering, with enough presence for roast turkey with all the trimmings.
2024 Diatom Santa Barbara County Chardonnay ($27)
Ripe but not too ripe, with a mouth-coating texture but enough acidity to give it lift, this Chardonnay is floral and full of stone-fruit flavors — white peach, apricot — with a brisk finish. It’s a great one to serve to Chardonnay doubters (or lovers, for that matter).
2023 Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Blanc ($28)
A mélange of Rhône varieties (Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Roussanne, and more) goes into this full-bodied Paso Robles white. Invite friends over and open a bottle; the word patelin is French slang for “neighborhood,” at least in a countryside setting.
2023 Sokol Blosser Willamette Valley Pinot Gris ($32)
Sokol Blosser, founded in 1971, has seen the Willamette Valley rise from unknown to famed and has stayed one of the wine region’s top producers that entire time. This vibrant, green apple–inflected white is a great pour for holiday parties.
2023 Donnachadh Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay ($40)
Fragrant with lime zest, apricot, and ginger notes, this Chardonnay from an impressive new producer (pronounced DON-nuh-kuh) on California’s Central Coast is made entirely with organically grown fruit from the winery’s estate vineyard.
MORGAN HUNT WARD / FOOD STYLING by EMILY NABORS HALL / PROP STYLING by JULIA BAYLESS
10 great red wines
2023 Hahn Pinot Noir ($18)
Great wines play complex symphonies of flavor, but you can’t really ask that of a $18 Pinot. What you can ask — and receive, if you’re lucky — is that the wine plays its few notes well. That’s certainly true with this red’s dark cherry fruit and lightly peppery finish.
2022 Banshee Mordecai Red Wine ($25)
Black-fruited and ripe but still lively, this is a kitchen-sink blend of grapes: Malbec, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvèdre, Tannat, Carignane, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Grenache Noir, and 2% “other.” But perhaps more crucially, it’d be great with a juicy steak.
2022 Grounded Wine Co. Landform Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($28)
There’s a savory, peppery edge to this appealing Oregon Pinot. It’s light on its feet, the blackberry notes carried on crisp tannins. If you set out a charcuterie tray for a holiday event, this would be a great partner for it.
2023 Presqu’ile Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir ($28)
It’s a gift to find an under-$30 Pinot that is so polished and graceful. Presqu’ile winemaker Dieter Cronje sources grapes from four different vineyards — Rancho Los Alamos, North Canyon, Kick On, and Presqu’ile’s estate property — to fashion this cherry- and herb-scented red. It’s full of flavor yet light on its feet, exactly what you want in Pinot Noir.
2023 Turley Juvenile Zinfandel ($29)
Turley was one of the original waiting-list-to-get-on-the-mailing-list producers for its old-vine, single-vineyard Zinfandels. But this sultry young-vine red, abundant with ripe boysenberry and black cherry fruit, is out there in the market and well worth finding.
2024 Ex Post Facto Pinot Noir ($30)
In the Sta. Rita Hills appellation, cool winds channeled in off of the Pacific make it ideal for Pinot Noir. This new wine is a particularly fragrant expression, with its scent of wild raspberries and sweet herbs, and its graceful flavors linger seductively.
2022 Marietta Román Estate Grown Zinfandel ($30)
Named for Marietta cellar-master Román Cisneros, who’s worked at the winery for 38 years, this light, bright Zinfandel is juicy and palate-whetting, with red berry and licorice notes. Be warned: It’s hard to resist another glass.
2022 The Language of Yes Cuvée Sinso Red ($30)
Randall Grahm, one of California’s most brilliant and irreverent vignerons for many years now, is back with his Language of Yes wines. This red-fruited Cinsaut blend gives California juiciness a southern-French kick of wild-herb intensity.
2021 L’Ecole No. 41 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($35)
The vast Columbia Valley appellation is the largest in Washington, giving managing winemaker Marty Clubb a host of vineyards to use for this poised Cabernet. Its deep blackberry flavors slowly fade into espresso-mocha notes.
2021 Stack House Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon ($35)
Red and black currant notes play against each other in this Cabernet from winemaking husband-and-wife team Mario and Anna Monticelli. There are plenty of firm but ripe tannins on the finish: Bring on the roasted beef tenderloin.
Dining and Cooking