What to Drink for Thanksgiving
With so many different foods on the table — from sweet to savory — Thanksgiving can be especially challenging when it comes to choosing the right wines. Adding to the frustration are the the personal tastes of your friends and family as well as wondering how much you should purchase and spend but trust me when I tell you — it doesn’t need to be so complicated. I’ve broken down my suggestions for various ways of entertaining along with a few helpful tips to make things as easy as pumpkin pie.
A FEW RULES
There is no perfect wine for Thanksgiving so relax, you can’t mess this up but in general lighter, fruit forward whites and reds work best.
Plan on having at least one white and red wine to serve, a sparkling is nice too.
Expect guests who drink to have at least 2-3 glasses per person. One bottle yields 5 glasses. You know the drinking habits of your friends and family so adjust and plan accordingly.
Don’t spend more than $25 on a bottle of wine for larger gatherings. $10-$20 is a good range. Anything more expensive will get lost in the boisterousness of the day.
THE BASICS
I like to serve a sparkling wine to set a festive mood. Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir go with everything including party snacks and appetizers. These three wines will also pair well with everything on the Thanksgiving dinner table, consider them the basics to carry the day.
Saint-Hilaire Blanquette de Limoux, France ($15) — I love entertaining with something bubbly, it’s so civilized but it can also get very expensive. This is a delicious alternative to Champagne for a fraction of the price. You can also add a splash of OJ for Mimosas.
Casa Julia Sauvignon Blanc, Chile ($10) — Sauvignon Blanc pairs with pretty much anything served with a squeeze of lemon. This will also please fans of NZ Sauvignon Blanc.
Alpataco, Pinot Noir, Patagonia, Argentina ($15) — the cooler region of Patagonia is becoming increasingly well known for delicate and bright Pinot Noirs. A lighter red like this is more flexible and forgiving when noshing on different types of appetizers. Uncle Bob “the wine snob” will also be impressed that it’s from Patagonia and might throw in a comment about how it tastes “Burgundian”.
DEEPER CUTS
Here is where things become a choose your own adventure. Your grandmother is perfectly content with something sweet but Uncle Bob “the wine snob” is looking to lecture everyone on how a fine wine needs to breath in order to release its bouquet — in other words, I’ve included something for everyone. A fun thing to do would be to purchase a variety of different wines and setup them up on a side table for your guests to taste and sample. Everyone loves a wine tasting and it also provides a convenient excuse to slip away from an uncomfortable conversation. “Pardon me, but I need to go refill my glass.”
Max Ferd Richter Estate Riesling, Mosel, Germany ($18) — a good fit for those who want something on the sweeter side with notes of green apples and honey. It also pairs well with savory turkey and sweeter side dishes like sweet potatoes and candied yams.
Secateurs Chenin Blanc, South Africa ($16) — Chenin Blanc is my go-to pairing for Thanksgiving. Not too sweet or too dry, it’s a seamless pairing for everything from turkey and savory stuffing to cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes.
Foxglove Chardonnay, Central Coast ($17) — we all have that one family member who only drinks oaky Chardonnay and this is for them. Also pairs well with turkey, buttery potatoes, stuffing and green beans with mushrooms.
Jean-Paul L’Ancien Beaujolais, France ($20) — if you ask a group of sommeliers what to pair with turkey, my guesstimate would be that 80% of them would say Beaujolais, not the Nouveau kind which has become the unofficial wine for Thanksgiving but the more hardcore serious stuff that is less bananas and more earth and fruit. Gamay is lighter in tannins similar to Pinot Noir but with more gummy drop fruit notes that pair well with turkey. Think of it as the wine version of cranberry sauce.
La Quercia Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Italy ($16) — Herbs such as sage, rosemary and thyme take center stage in many Thanksgiving dishes including stuffing, gravy, various casseroles and the turkey itself. Or you or someone in your family doesn’t eat meat and you’re doing a pasta, roasted veggies or a vegan loaf in place of the turkey. The drier savory notes of this Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is a good choice in both instances.
Pigmentum Malbec, Cahors, France ($12) — Not everyone does Turkey for Thanksgiving, maybe it’s steak or filet mignon instead. Or you just want a heavier red, something you can’t see through. Either way, Malbec is here to save the day. It’s also an easy wine to love — wine fans will recognize the varietal while those who drink only on special occasions will be happy with it too.
Folkway, Revelator, Bordeaux Blend, California ($25) — You’re going to someone’s house for Thanksgiving but you don’t know what to bring. How about a nice bottle of red wine? Here it is. Uncle Bob “the wine snob” will like it too.
SWEET FINALE
Truth be told, I rarely serve dessert wines with dessert — it’s either one or the other for me but I was recently at a dinner with Berenice Lurton, the owner of Chateau Climens, and I’m still thinking about her luscious Barsac that was paired with a pumpkin dish. Here are some options to enjoy with classic Thanksgiving desserts for an equally memorable ending.
Chateau Climens Barsac, France, 375 ml $45 — honeyed apricot notes will make your pumpkin pie taste like it’s on steroids.
Cossart Gordon, 10 year Bual Madeira, Portugal, 500 ml $35 — notes of vanilla, almonds and prunes, this tastes like pecan pie in a glass but goes will with pumpkin and caramel desserts too.
Banfi Rosa Regali, Brachetto di Acqui, Italy $20 — Chocolate, if you have to have it, this is the wine to pair with it. Soft and slightly fizzy like a Moscato but flavors of raspberries and strawberries. Blends with chocolate to make it taste like a chocolate covered raspberry.
Where can I find these wines?
All wines (with the exception of the dessert recommendations) were sourced and priced from the Whole Foods on Kingsbury in Chicago. Pricing and availability may vary depending on your location and merchant.