The Guide to Pairing Wine with Your Thanksgiving Menu

Here’s how the pros pair turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes with pinot, bubbles, and chardonnay

The wine in your glass is as important as the turkey and stuffing on the Thanksgiving table. Luckily, you don’t need to be a sommelier to make a great pairing with your holiday menu. I spoke with sommeliers and pairing experts to help guide your holiday wine shopping as you plan your holiday meal. Or, if you’re being hosted, any of these bottles would be a welcome gift for the cook.

“Pairing wines with food begins with flavors that work well together,” says Michael Jordan, Master Sommelier at Jackson Family Wines. “There are structural elements of wine like the level of natural grape acidity in the wine or the level of tannin in a red wine that “frame’ the wine’s flavors and can make a pairing sing,” he says. When you taste the perfect match between plate and glass, you instantly know it: a full-bodied cab cuts through the richness of a juicy steak. A bracing sauvignon blanc mirrors the salty brine of an oyster.

Use these tips to pair your holiday menu with the right sips and prepare for a table of impressed guests.

To start

It might go without saying, but you’ll want something to whet your guests’ palates and get the festive spirit flowing. Jordan suggests beginning your holiday meal with a glass of refreshing bubbles while the turkey and sides are still cooking.

Try:

• Kind of Wild Brut Nature Sparkling is a dry, zero-sugar fruity sip with soft bubbles that won’t give you a headache before the turkey’s ready.
• Conquilla Cava Brut is a citrusy Spanish sparkler with balanced acidity at a great price point.
• Bricoleur Isla Rose Brut Rosé is fruity with a touch of earthy rose.

With the turkey

When the buffet or table is set and your beautiful turkey is carved, it’s time to move on to the main pours of the night. Jordan loves sipping pinot noir with turkey, as the higher acidity and red fruit complement the caramelized skin and juiciness of the bird.

Try:

• Patz & Hall 2020 Gap’s Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir is a California coastal wine with a rich profile of dark fruit with a touch of warming spices and chocolate.
• The Pinot Project Pinot Noir is a budget-friendly bottle that’s highly drinkable and vibrant, with notes of burnt citrus and briny olives.
• Stags Leap District 2021 Yettalil is a delicious blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. It’s a medium- to full-bodied California red bursting with dark red fruits and earthy undernotes.

Alternatively, go in a sweeter direction with your bird and serve glasses of Gewurztraminer or a dry Riesling.

Try:

• Selbach Incline Riesling is just a touch sweet and mildly acidic. It’s a nice fruity compliment to the rich, meaty meal.
• Trimbach Gewurztraminer is a beautiful golden wine with notes of warming spices and rose.

The sides

There are a lot of flavors and textures in the side dishes on Thanksgiving. Jordan suggests something full-bodied and tannic to stand up for itself on the palate. There’s a fair bit of butter, fat, and richness on a Thanksgiving menu. These fattier flavors can help “tame the tannins and make big red wines more enjoyable,” says Jordan.

David Kravitz, Beverage directions and Sommelier at The Group, recommends a cru Beaujolais with the Thanksgiving meal. “Red berries laced with garigue will complement the turkey and sides,” he says.

Try:

• Francis Coppola 2021 Diamond Collection Zinfandel is a complex blend of California grapes that yields a juicy, jammy wine that’s bold on your palate without overwhelming the meal.
• Ophelie Dutraive Moulin-a-Vent is an approachable, sturdy wine made with Gamay grapes that ages well and is lower in tannins.

With dessert

Jordan cautions that though there are few set-in-stone rules for pairing wine and food, it’s wise not to “serve a dish that is sweeter than the wine it’s paired with—it will make the wine taste sour, bitter and nasty!” With your pie, you could return to bubbles or choose something lighter, even a rosé or orange wine would be fun.

Try:

• Ceretto’s I vignaioli di Santo Stefano Moscato D’Asti DOCG is highly-fruity and refreshing. It’s not overly sweet and has a low 5% alcohol content, which makes it a great choice for this time in the day.
• Mai Vino Orange Wine is an organic wine from Chile with a touch of sweetness and a light to medium body. It comes in a sealable pouch that keeps the wine fresh for 30 days if you somehow end up with leftovers.
• Clif Family Rose of Grenache is a light and refreshing single-varietal bottle aged in 100% stainless steel for four months.

With leftovers

The next day, after you pile a tall sandwich stacked with all the leftovers, enjoy a crisp chilled glass of chardonnay.

Try: 

• Noble Vines 446 Chardonnay is a Californian oak-aged wine with notes of juicy pineapple, white peach, and ripe pear. It’s mildly acidic with a lingering finish.
• Copin Wines Tidal Break Chardonnay is made with grapes grown a few miles from the ocean, which imparts a salty, oceanic quality to this crisp white.

Cheers!

 

Feature Photo by Celina on Unsplash