Turkey, green beans, and stuffing are usually top of mind when considering Thanksgiving wine pairings, but why should the savory courses get all the glory? Here at Team BHG, we’re firm believers that every dish that’s part of the feast deserves respect. And just between us, we happen to think we save the best for last: pie.
Instead of—or in addition to—coffee or tea with dessert, we tapped sommeliers from across the country to help us pour out the best wine pairings for Thanksgiving pie recipes. Whether you’re slicing and serving up apple pie, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, or something more unexpected like cherry, chess, or coconut cream, we’ve got you covered with the best Thanksgiving wine pairings for pie. Read on to learn how to celebrate the entire holiday feast in good spirits—and in good taste.
How to Pair Wine and Pie Recipes
True, you could just polish off the bottles you have open to enjoy alongside the poultry, potatoes, and casseroles. But Chris Dunaway, wine director at The Little Nell in Aspen, Colorado suggests trying something new.
“Thanksgiving is a marathon, not a sprint. Why not take your palate on a little detour when the pies come out? Sweet and savory flavors need different balancing acts,” Dunaway explains.
Changing things up with new Thanksgiving pie wine pairings allows you to highlight the pies’ flavors without clashing, adds Debra Jones, owner and head winemaker of City Scape Winery in Greenville, South Carolina. Plus, “after heavy, savory courses, a different wine re-energizes your guests’ taste buds and keeps dessert memorable. It’s a lively switch-up to finish the meal on a high note!”
Admittedly, pies are often tricky to pair with wine since they have so many elements, from the crust to the base ingredient to the spices.
“Each element plays a part, but together, they create the personality of the pie,” says Molly Austad, wine director at Bludon, Navy Blue, and Bar Bludorn in Houston, Texas. “A well-chosen wine should create harmony without overpowering any one note.”
The sommeliers tell us that the most important features to keep in mind when selecting Thanksgiving pie wine pairings include:
The sweetness of the pie. If you’re sharing a tart treat like lemon meringue or cranberry pie, “sometimes wines that have been paired with the savory courses can work well. This is especially true if the richness and ripeness of fruit in these wines is substantial,” Dunaway says. For many of the traditional pies that often have a significant sweetness to them, such as pumpkin or pecan pie, it’s wise to shift to a dessert wine. “Make sure the wine is sweeter than the dessert, as the wine will come off as tart and pale compared to the flavor of the dessert itself if this isn’t the case,” Dunaway continues. The main ingredient. “Keeping the base flavor as the guiding element ensures the wine will match the pie’s core essence, creating a harmonious finish to the meal,” Jones says. You can choose to either complement or contrast the main ingredient, say, the nuttiness of pecans or the rich cocoa notes of a chocolate pie. The spices add complexity, bringing out the best in certain thoughtful Thanksgiving pie wine pairings, Jones adds.
The Best Wine Pairings for 9 Popular Thanksgiving Pies, According to Sommeliers
Ahead, we’re revealing our ultimate guide to Thanksgiving wine pairings for pie. These have been carefully selected by our panel of sommeliers to help make planning your final course stress-free.
If you only remember one wine pairing rule, let it be this one from Becca Powelson, wine director at Carta Wine Bar in New York City: “Drinking what you like should drive your choices. So much emphasis is placed on pairing that sometimes our own tastes and preferences are ignored.”
Above all, drink a wine that you like on its own. Chances are high that you’ll enjoy it as a Thanksgiving pie wine pairing, too.
Carson Downing
Pumpkin or Sweet Potato Pie
Thanksgiving wine pairing: Late-Harvest Riesling
With enough acidity to cut through the richness of a custard pie and a buttery crust, “late-harvest wines are great tablemates with pumpkin pie,” Dunaway says. Since the grapes are picked later in the season—hence the name late-harvest—they have enough time to develop more sugars that play nicely with the sweet and warm nature of the autumnal spice profile. Austad describes late-harvest Riesling as offering “just the right honeyed depth” to balance the earthy winter squash.
Con Poulos
Pecan Pie
Thanksgiving wine pairing: Tawny Port
Nutty pies pair well with a dessert wine that mimics their flavor and aroma profile, Dunaway explains. For pecan pie, a dessert wine like Tawny Port does that with style. With notes of toasted almond, caramel, and fig, “this fortified wine brings enough weight and sweetness to stand up to the pie’s dense texture,” Jones says. Plus, this style of Port has a smooth finish, which “matches the pie’s sweetness without being overpowering,” according to Austad.
Brie Goldman
Apple Pie
Thanksgiving wine pairing: Sparkling Brut Rosé
With its pastry crust, caramel apple-reminiscent filling, and ample cinnamon notes, apple pie can be a challenging pairing. But you pretty much can’t go wrong with bubbles any time, and a dry sparkling Rosé “acts like a refresh button after each bite of apple pie,” Austad explains. “The acidity cuts through the sweetness, and those subtle berry notes play nicely with cinnamon and caramel flavors.”
KELSEY HANSEN. FOOD STYLING: CHARLIE WORTHINGTON AND KELSEY MOYLAN
Cherry Pie
Thanksgiving wine pairing: Lambrusco
Bubbles are also a boon when it comes to a more summery pie (that we still love to serve at the fall and winter holidays): cherry. The tart, juicy flavor of the pie filling “begs for something equally lively,” Austad says. Lambrusco, a dry, sparkling, red Italian wine, brings effervescence and a touch of red fruit sweetness to the table, harmonizing with the pie without taking over. Serve it chilled to accent this fruit pie in style.
Blaine Moats
Cranberry Pie
Thanksgiving wine pairing: Grenache
As you likely know from the scoop of cranberry sauce you added to your plate earlier in the meal, cranberries pack a notable sweet-tart punch. This medium-bodied red wine “balances the pie’s tartness without adding sweetness, enhancing its complexity,” Jones says. Grenache naturally exudes red fruit qualities, and with its soft acidity, it pairs well with the tart and slightly bitter nature of cranberry pie.
Blaine Moats
Chocolate Pie
Thanksgiving wine pairing: Ruby Port
Ruby port is smooth and sweet, with a “rich, fruity depth that complements chocolate pie’s dense, creamy texture,” Jones says. Especially if the pie starts with semi-sweet or dark chocolate, both of which lend a little bitterness, “Ruby Port is such a gorgeous complement with the caramel notes and chocolate flavors,” Powelson adds.
Jason Donnelly
Coconut Cream Pie
Thanksgiving wine pairing: Chenin Blanc
Come Thanksgiving, the days are still getting shorter and you might be in the mood for a tropical vacation. If that inspires you to add coconut cream pie to the menu, keep a bottle of this vibrant white wine handy. “Chenin Blanc, with its tropical fruit notes and bright acidity, enhances coconut cream pie’s light, creamy sweetness and coconut flavors,” Jones explains. Keeping the buttery crust, custardy filling, and cloud-like meringue topping in mind, Jones adds that this vino “offers freshness and balance to the pie’s richness.”
KELSEY HANSEN. FOOD STYLING: CHARLIE WORTHINGTON AND KELSEY MOYLAN
Banana Cream Pie
Thanksgiving wine pairing: Sauternes
This one is tricky due to the bananas’ unique flavor, Dunaway admits. But once again, a dessert wine comes in clutch. Sauternes in particular stands out due to its “tropical fruit notes and honeyed sweetness that complement banana cream pie’s creamy texture, creating a decadent pairing that highlights both flavors,” according to Jones.
Scott Little
Lemon Meringue Pie
Thanksgiving wine pairing: Moscato d’ Asti
Due to the prominence of citrus fruit (okay, juice) in the filling, “lemon meringue pie often has pronounced acidity by nature,” Dunaway says. With natural sweetness, low alcohol, and a refreshing spritzy quality, Moscato d’ Asti pairs beautifully. “Its slight sparkling bite balances the pie’s tangy lemon curd and cuts through the fluffy meringue,” Jones tells us. At the same time, it has enough residual sugar not to crash the party and come off as too acidic to enjoy.