Thanksgiving is one week away, and with this holiday comes the inevitable question - "What wine should I serve with Thanksgiving dinner?" Many people ask me if they should open that special bottle they have been saving, while others approach the holiday beverage selection with a good amount of trepidation, wondering how they are going to pour good wine and make everyone happy at the holiday table while not spending a pretty penny.
I hope the thoughts below will frame some of your vinous Thanksgiving questions, open your palate a few interesting wines and pairing options, and even save you a bit of money!
In terms of the special bottle:
Unless your Thanksgiving dinner is a very small affair (i.e. 2-5 people) comprised of hard-core wine drinkers, you should save that "special bottle" (e.g. First-Growth Bordeaux, Grand Cru Burgundy, cult California Cabernet, and the like) for another time. Remember that at a Thanksgiving dinner of 10, 15, or 20 people, that bottle which you had looked forward to savoring will not make it out of the kitchen. Also, if you are bringing a bottle to someone's home, there is never a guarantee that your host or hostess will open your bottle that evening - something to keep in mind if you are really pining away to try a bottle you had been holding onto for so many years (or just purchased at your wine retailer).
Rather, on Thanksgiving, I always have been of the mindset to pick crowd-pleasing wines that can pair with a wide array of dishes and flavors. I gravitate towards food-friendly wines that easily navigate the varying tastes of family and guests. Or, to look at it from purely a food perspective, while turkey is a game bird that pairs well with white and red wines, side dishes on Thanksgiving can be of a myriad of flavors and styles, from ultra-rich mashed potatoes and stuffings to delicate steamed vegetables to cornbread and sausages, and wines need to be versatile.
As a result, all of the wines I am recommending below have one thing in common - ACID. A good amount of acid in your wine, whether it be white or red (or sparkling) makes the wine food friendly and versatile in pairing. For me, it is acid before tannins for wine selection on Thanksgiving. (As a side note, this also holds true when I am picking out wines for a large group at a restaurant; one can find a common ground and please most people with a higher acid wine choice.) A lot of people also use Thanksgiving to drink American wines, which I totally agree with; however, I also will be talking about some Italian, French, and Spanish wines for a bit of diversity.
Sparkling Wines:
Sparkling wine, whether Champagne or method Champenoise, is a great option. A well-made sparkling wine has great acidity. There are typically a lot of earthy flavors on the Thanksgiving dinner table which play nicely with the bready, yeasty, mushroomy aromas often found in sparkling wine. For a bit more weight, you can opt for a rose or Pinot Noir dominanted sparkling wine. From the US, Roederer Estate's Anderson Valley Brut (California) and Schramsberg Vineryards Mirabelle (also available in rose) represent amazing values and drink extraordinarily well. Cava, the method Champenoise sparkler from Spain, is also a great option (look for Muga's Conde de Haro or Segura Viudas bottlings, also in the $20-$25 range). Champagne, of course, is another option, albeit with a higher price point for the larger houses. Ask a local wine merchant who you trust if they have any interesting Grower Champagnes if you are willing to spend a bit more.
Whites:
While I know this may sound a bit unoriginal, Chardonnay is not a bad choice on Thanksgiving. Chardonnay with a touch of oak is a great pairing with butter, richer foods, chestnuts, and the like. A Chardonnay made in a "cooler climate style" from California are great choices (e.g. Chalone Vineyard, Melville Estate, Massican), as are Chardonnays from cooler regions in Australia (for example, Vasse Felix Chardonnay from Western Australia). These are good values in the $15-$30 range. For something a little richer, but still with acid, I look to Rhone varieties such as Grenache Blanc, Roussane, and Marsanne. Qupe from Santa Barbara fits this bill well, and some of their bottlings come in under $20. Michel Gassier's Costieres de Nimes Nostre Pais Blanc (Rhone, France) is a superb value at about $18 retail and is a blend of mostly Grenache Blanc with a little Viognier and Marsanne. If you would like to try something most do not bring to the Thanksgiving table (but I really enjoy), there are great values to be had in wines made from Riesling and Chenin Blanc. Wines from both these grapes are very acidic, and I feel those with residual sugar have a bit of extra body that enables them to stand up to richer foods. That being said, if your guests don't care for a touch of sweetness in their wines, Chenin Blanc and off-dry/sweet Riesling may not be the best options; but, if you want to try some amazing wines that over-deliver for their price point, definitely take a look.
Reds:
Many people advocate Zinfandel as the red wine of choice for Thanksgiving. If you want to drink Zin on Thanksgiving, I would gravitate to higher acid interpretations, rather than the opulent, high-octane alcohol variety. I look to producers such as Ridge and Bedrock Wine Company - I find their styles are fresher and brighter and fare very well on the Thanksgiving table. Domestic Pinot Noir is another good pick. Pinot Noir's acidity and earthy tones make for great food pairing on Thanksgiving, and offerings from California and Oregon have a good amount of fruit that will stand up to richer dishes. Calera's Central Coast Pinot Noir (California) and Argyle's Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (Oregon) are great examples under $20 and have good acid, bright red fruit, and a bit of earthy notes. If you want to have an even lighter style of red wine, Gamay-based reds may suit you nicely. A Beaujolais such as Clos de la Roilette (France) or Bow and Arrow's Gamay Noir (Oregon) price from $18-25 and will satisfy your guests who want a lighter style red wine. These wines are also a good fit for those white wine drinkers who want to try something red. Finally, I cannot forget Barbera. Wines from this northern Italian grape have tons of mouth-watering acid along with dark red fruit and sometimes oak treatment. I find they are perennial crowd-pleasers, and Barbera is often my go-to wine on Thanksgiving. Offerings from Vietti, Mascarello, DeForville, Trinchero, and Crivelli are all excellent, to name a few, and you can find good bottlings in the $15-$25 range.
Of course, this list is by no means exhaustive. Remember the most important thing is to enjoy yourself and have fun. Your wine selection will make you and your guests happy, which is the key thing on Thanksgiving!
I hope the thoughts below will frame some of your vinous Thanksgiving questions, open your palate a few interesting wines and pairing options, and even save you a bit of money!
In terms of the special bottle:
Unless your Thanksgiving dinner is a very small affair (i.e. 2-5 people) comprised of hard-core wine drinkers, you should save that "special bottle" (e.g. First-Growth Bordeaux, Grand Cru Burgundy, cult California Cabernet, and the like) for another time. Remember that at a Thanksgiving dinner of 10, 15, or 20 people, that bottle which you had looked forward to savoring will not make it out of the kitchen. Also, if you are bringing a bottle to someone's home, there is never a guarantee that your host or hostess will open your bottle that evening - something to keep in mind if you are really pining away to try a bottle you had been holding onto for so many years (or just purchased at your wine retailer).
Rather, on Thanksgiving, I always have been of the mindset to pick crowd-pleasing wines that can pair with a wide array of dishes and flavors. I gravitate towards food-friendly wines that easily navigate the varying tastes of family and guests. Or, to look at it from purely a food perspective, while turkey is a game bird that pairs well with white and red wines, side dishes on Thanksgiving can be of a myriad of flavors and styles, from ultra-rich mashed potatoes and stuffings to delicate steamed vegetables to cornbread and sausages, and wines need to be versatile.
As a result, all of the wines I am recommending below have one thing in common - ACID. A good amount of acid in your wine, whether it be white or red (or sparkling) makes the wine food friendly and versatile in pairing. For me, it is acid before tannins for wine selection on Thanksgiving. (As a side note, this also holds true when I am picking out wines for a large group at a restaurant; one can find a common ground and please most people with a higher acid wine choice.) A lot of people also use Thanksgiving to drink American wines, which I totally agree with; however, I also will be talking about some Italian, French, and Spanish wines for a bit of diversity.
Sparkling Wines:
Sparkling wine, whether Champagne or method Champenoise, is a great option. A well-made sparkling wine has great acidity. There are typically a lot of earthy flavors on the Thanksgiving dinner table which play nicely with the bready, yeasty, mushroomy aromas often found in sparkling wine. For a bit more weight, you can opt for a rose or Pinot Noir dominanted sparkling wine. From the US, Roederer Estate's Anderson Valley Brut (California) and Schramsberg Vineryards Mirabelle (also available in rose) represent amazing values and drink extraordinarily well. Cava, the method Champenoise sparkler from Spain, is also a great option (look for Muga's Conde de Haro or Segura Viudas bottlings, also in the $20-$25 range). Champagne, of course, is another option, albeit with a higher price point for the larger houses. Ask a local wine merchant who you trust if they have any interesting Grower Champagnes if you are willing to spend a bit more.
Whites:
While I know this may sound a bit unoriginal, Chardonnay is not a bad choice on Thanksgiving. Chardonnay with a touch of oak is a great pairing with butter, richer foods, chestnuts, and the like. A Chardonnay made in a "cooler climate style" from California are great choices (e.g. Chalone Vineyard, Melville Estate, Massican), as are Chardonnays from cooler regions in Australia (for example, Vasse Felix Chardonnay from Western Australia). These are good values in the $15-$30 range. For something a little richer, but still with acid, I look to Rhone varieties such as Grenache Blanc, Roussane, and Marsanne. Qupe from Santa Barbara fits this bill well, and some of their bottlings come in under $20. Michel Gassier's Costieres de Nimes Nostre Pais Blanc (Rhone, France) is a superb value at about $18 retail and is a blend of mostly Grenache Blanc with a little Viognier and Marsanne. If you would like to try something most do not bring to the Thanksgiving table (but I really enjoy), there are great values to be had in wines made from Riesling and Chenin Blanc. Wines from both these grapes are very acidic, and I feel those with residual sugar have a bit of extra body that enables them to stand up to richer foods. That being said, if your guests don't care for a touch of sweetness in their wines, Chenin Blanc and off-dry/sweet Riesling may not be the best options; but, if you want to try some amazing wines that over-deliver for their price point, definitely take a look.
Reds:
Many people advocate Zinfandel as the red wine of choice for Thanksgiving. If you want to drink Zin on Thanksgiving, I would gravitate to higher acid interpretations, rather than the opulent, high-octane alcohol variety. I look to producers such as Ridge and Bedrock Wine Company - I find their styles are fresher and brighter and fare very well on the Thanksgiving table. Domestic Pinot Noir is another good pick. Pinot Noir's acidity and earthy tones make for great food pairing on Thanksgiving, and offerings from California and Oregon have a good amount of fruit that will stand up to richer dishes. Calera's Central Coast Pinot Noir (California) and Argyle's Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (Oregon) are great examples under $20 and have good acid, bright red fruit, and a bit of earthy notes. If you want to have an even lighter style of red wine, Gamay-based reds may suit you nicely. A Beaujolais such as Clos de la Roilette (France) or Bow and Arrow's Gamay Noir (Oregon) price from $18-25 and will satisfy your guests who want a lighter style red wine. These wines are also a good fit for those white wine drinkers who want to try something red. Finally, I cannot forget Barbera. Wines from this northern Italian grape have tons of mouth-watering acid along with dark red fruit and sometimes oak treatment. I find they are perennial crowd-pleasers, and Barbera is often my go-to wine on Thanksgiving. Offerings from Vietti, Mascarello, DeForville, Trinchero, and Crivelli are all excellent, to name a few, and you can find good bottlings in the $15-$25 range.
Of course, this list is by no means exhaustive. Remember the most important thing is to enjoy yourself and have fun. Your wine selection will make you and your guests happy, which is the key thing on Thanksgiving!