There are many types of delicious wine to pair with Thanksgiving Dinner
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Thanksgiving is a revered American holiday. It is a time to gather around the table with family and friends, to express gratitude and enjoy a sense of community spirit and fun. The air is redolent with the rich aromas of sage, onions, roast turkey, pumpkin, creamy potatoes, gravy, and other spices from favorite recipes.
So what are the best wines to pair with Thanksgiving’s rich seasonal flavors that will please every palate? Following are some recommendations that are designed to find favor from almost everyone at the table, and are organized by type of Thanksgiving food and price point.
Given that each bottle of wine (750ml) provides five glasses, just calculate the number of people joining your Thanksgiving feast, and then determine how many bottles you need. In general, it is best to offer at least two different styles of wine at your meal to please diverse palates.
I have selected wines that should be easy to find online or at larger wine shops and grocery stores. Prices are based on average Winesearcher.com prices, but may differ by location.
Best Thanksgiving Appetizer Wines – Sparkling
Thanksgiving appetizers can range from chips and dip while watching the big game on TV to caviar and blinis. Other common options are deviled eggs, baked brie, spinach and artichoke dip, stuffed mushrooms and small meatballs. Given this, the best pairing for Thanksgiving appetizers is a bottle of sparkling wine, which is the most versatile wine style for diverse flavors. Here are four to consider:
Budget Friendly (less than $20) – Gruet Brut ($17), made in New Mexico, this American bubbly is brimming with golden apple, citrus, and almond flavors. Wine Spectator Top 100 Value wine.Mid-Range ($20 – $39) – Roederer Estate Brut ($30), often mistaken for Champagne in blind tastings, this American sparkling is made in Mendocino County, CA and is rich and elegant with spicy apple, ginger, and bready notes.Splurge ($40+) – Laurent-Perrier Brut La Cuvee Champagne ($66) – sophisticated yet approachable, this French wine has notes of dried apples, lemon, nuts and brioche with a long elegant finish.Non-Alcoholic – Josh Cellars Non-Alcoholic Sparkling ($15) a new addition to the market, this wine is made in Italy, and is brimming with tart green apple, lemon-lime and pear. Very refreshing.
Sparkling wine is a great pairing with a variety of Thanksgiving appetizers – ranging from chips and dip to caviar and blinis.
gettyBest Thanksgiving Side Dish Wines – Rosé and White
Traditional Thanksgiving side dishes include green bean casserole, sweet potatoes/yams (often with melted marshmallows), savory stuffing with fragrant herbs, mash potatoes, gravy, cornbread, and cranberry sauce. Some people also serve a large green salad and/or creamy soup. For example on the West Coast, November is the beginning of crab season, so crab bisque is often found at Thanksgiving feasts there.
Given all of these rich and flavorful dishes, it is important to offer wines that have enough acid to cut through the creamy tastes, but also offer fruity and sometimes semi-sweet styles to complement the savory qualities. Certain types of white and rosé wines accomplish this quite well. Select your favorite from the lists below, or consider offering your guests one from each list.
White WinesBudget Friendly (less than $20) – Husch Gewurztraminer ($18) – from a Mendocino County winery that is famous for Gewurztraminer, this wine offers all of the exquisite apricot, tangerine and spicy notes that will work perfectly with nearly every side dish.Mid-Range ($20 – $39) –Hermann J. Wiemer Semi-Dry (or Dry) Riesling ($20) – this Finger Lakes winery is famous for its riesling and they craft both dry and semi-dry styles equally well – so select your favorite. Both express notes of white peach, citrus and pear.Splurge ($40+) – Three Sticks Durell Vineyard Chardonnay ($70) – a very satisfying and elegant wine with golden apple and peach notes wrapped up with a hint of toasty oak, almonds, and vanilla. From a top vineyard in Sonoma County.Non-Alcoholic – Giesen 0% Non-Alcoholic Pinot Grigio ($13) – from New Zealand, this is a very satisfying NA wine with notes of ripe pear, honeydew and a hint of white flowers. Rosé WinesBudget Friendly (less than $20) – Chateau Ste Michelle Columbia Valley Rosé ($11) – ripe and fruity with watermelon and apricot notes, but enough lemony acid to cleanse the palate.Mid-Range ($20 – $39) – Wölffer Estate Long Island Rosé ($26) – clean and elegant with notes of red apple, spice, berries, and a touch of Long Island sea salt. Splurge ($40+) – Chateau d’Esclans Cotes de Provence ‘Rock Angel’ Rosé ($40) – a richer, full-bodied rosé with ripe berries and zingy citrus to cut through rich flavors.Non-Alcoholic – Leitz Eins Zwei Zero Non-Alcoholic Rosé ($11) – a slightly tart NA rosé with notes of grapefruit, strawberry and green apple.
Traditional Thanksgiving dishes like green bean casserole, braised carrots and yams with marshmallows pair well with white and rose wines.
gettyBest Thanksgiving Turkey Wines – Light Red
Given that turkey has both white and brown meat, it can offer both a lighter, juicier (we hope) taste as well as more complex savory flavors with the darker meat. However, when paired with a creamy gravy and perhaps a bite of stuffing, it can take on some more complex flavors including umami, spice, herbs, and salt.
But a heavy tannic red wine, such as cabernet sauvignon can often overpower turkey, so if you prefer red wines, it is best to consider one of the more smooth, fruit-forward and light to medium-styled red wines below:
Budget Friendly (less than $20) – Cortese Nostru Frappato IGP ($16) – bright and cheerful with strawberry, floral and ripe maraschino cherries, this Sicilian red is a crowd pleaser than can be served slightly chilled. Mid-Range ($20 – $39) – Tablas Creek Vineyards Patelin de Tablas ($26) – made in Paso Robles, this classic red Rhone style wine focusing on Grenache and Syrah organic grapes shows good complexity with raspberry, red plum, herbs, and sweet tobacco notes.Splurge ($40+) – Penner-Ash Wine Cellars Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($61) – an exquisite Oregon wine with flavors of velvety raspberry jam, cherry, white pepper, and spice. A perfect pairing with darker turkey meat and savory gravy.Non-Alcoholic (NA) – Wander & Found Pinot Noir ($18) – a decent tasting NA pinot noir from Germany with notes of black cherry and cranberry, with smooth textured tannins.Best Thanksgiving Dessert Wines
The two most famous Thanksgiving desserts are pumpkin and pecan pie – both considered to be American inventions. However, both have very different flavors, with pumpkin pie sporting spicy cinnamon and allspice, and pecan pie focusing on sweet brown sugar, corn syrup and nutty pecans.
The rule with pairing dessert and wine is that the wine should be sweeter than the dessert, or the wine may taste bitter and jarring in your mouth. Therefore, sweet dessert wines are desired. Following are a few to consider:
Budget Friendly (less than $20) – Quady Winery Electra Moscato ($14) – a sweet and delectable wine with candied peach, orange blossom, honey and maple syrup notes. Also good served over ice.Mid-Range ($20 – $39) – Ferrante Winery Vidal Blanc Ice Wine ($33 for half bottle) – from Ohio, this sweet wine has won multiple awards and tastes of honey, mangoes, and brown sugar.Splurge ($40+) – Far Niente Dolce ($147 – or $98 for half bottle) – probably one of Napa Valley’s most famous sweet wines, this shimmering golden wine tastes of dried apricot, nectarine and figs. Very rich and delicious.Non-Alcoholic (NA) – FRE Moscato ($8) – with enticing notes of roses, yellow peach, and honey, this NA wine from California is creamy and sweet on the palate.
Thanksgiving pumpkin and pecan pies pair well with sweet dessert wines
gettyWishing You a Happy Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is designed to be a warm, relaxing, and fun time of the year to celebrate with family and friends and be thankful for blessings. May yours also consist of delicious dishes paired with some equally delectable wines – especially now that you know some of the secrets to finding the best wine for Thanksgiving celebrations.
A toast to a Happy Thanksgiving celebration with family and friends.
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Dining and Cooking