Wines for Your Thanksgiving Feast
For those who are preparing holiday meals, here are some suggestions for pairing great wine with your Thanksgiving feast. With all the side dishes, salads, sauces, and spices, pairing the right wine can be a bit tricky. The easiest way to approach your wine pairing is to choose wines that are complementary with a wide variety of foods, as well as lighter wines that won’t weigh you down during a long day of food and drink.
If you are choosing red wine, go for light-bodied reds, without a lot of tannins or weight. Try Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Grenache or Garnacha, or red Zinfandel.
When choosing white wine, they should also be lighter in style, not overly oaky, well-balanced, and with good acidity. Try Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Albarino, or Chenin Blanc.
Rosé is always a good choice, as it is also light, and pairs nicely with all the flavors of Thanksgiving. Sparkling wine works not only for the meal, but it also is a great celebratory starter that goes great with appetizers, and throughout the meal.
Red Wines
VALERY RENAUDAT REUILLY ROUGE (Loire, France): Pinot Noir is the classic pairing for Thanksgiving, as it pairs well with cranberries and turkey and many of the traditional side dishes. This delicious red has aromas of strawberry preserves, pomegranate, sandalwood, and fresh tea. On the palate, the wine is supple and medium-bodied with a silky texture and a solid core of sweet red fruit and allspice.
DOMAINE DU PAVILLON DE CHAVANNES COTE DE BROUILLY CUVÉE DE AMBASSADES (Burgundy, France): This tasty, organically produced wine is served in all the French embassies around the world. This is a Cru Beaujolais coming from the upper vineyards of Brouilly. Vinous Media: “… vibrant raspberry, boysenberry, and five-spice powder flavors that deepen slowly through the mid palate. Shows superb energy and finishes seamless and impressively long with polished and floral notes.”
SIERRA DE TOLONO TEMPRANILLO (Rioja, Spain): The mountains of Sierra de Tolono have limestone clay and rocky soils, perfect for growing Tempranillo. Tempranillo is the third-most widely planted varietal in the world. This biodynamically produced wine is fresh and energetic. It has a medium body with good freshness, clean berry flavor, vibrant acidity, and fine tannins. A great value!
EVODIA GARNACHA (Calatayud, Spain): This 100% Garnacha is amazing! Says Jeb Dunnuck, an American wine critic: ”The 2019 Evodia is a killer value that delivers incredible Garnacha flair for a crazy good price. Kirsch, blackberry, violet and saddle-wood notes go a long way to a seamless, beautifully layered wine with fabulous tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This is the finest wine at this price in the world!”
TENUTA DE ANGELIS MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO (Montepulciano, Italy): This family-run estate is located in the Castel di Lama, in the Southern Marche. First planted in 1950, the winery is managed by winemaker/owner Quinto Fausti and his son Alighierio. The Faustis practice rigorous quality selection of their fruit, ensuring that their whites and reds are among the finest values in in Italy. They follow the practices of certified organic farming. Another outstanding value!
White Wines
ZANOTELLI PINOT GRIGIO TRENTINO (Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy): This Pinot Grigio is fruity on the nose, reminiscent of ripe pear. The grapes are hand-harvested and fermented exclusively in stainless steel tanks, in order to retain the beautiful balance of nutty mineral, and spice notes.
GUNDERLOCH JEAN BAPTISTE RIESLING KABINETT (Rheinhessen, Germany): The Gunderloch estate has been around for 130 years, under the leadership of Johannes Haasselbach. The wines are achieving levels of grace, balance, and natural energy. This organic Riesling is always a pleasure as well as a great value.
K VINTNERS ART DEN HOED VIOGNIER (Yakima, Wash.): A beautiful Viognier that received rave reviews. Writes legendary winemaker, Charles Smith: “Oh Lord! So beautiful, so gorgeous, and so bright and lively. Honeysuckle, white peach, and orange blossom. Inviting, brilliant, and satisfying.”
Rosé Wine
CHATEAU DE SULAUZE POMPONETTE ROSÉ (Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence): This is another superb vintage of the highly sought Pomponette Rosé. Karina and Guillaume Lefevre have built a family and a domain in the tiny village of Miramar. The family farms biodynamically with a commitment to purity and terroir. This pale pink Rosé has beautiful aromatics, and is bright and clear.
Sparkling Wine
ROEDERER ESTATE BRUT ROSÉ (Mendocino, Calif.): The Brut Rosé is a blend of 56% Pinot Noir and 44% Chardonnay. It is a delicious Rosé with a pale salmon color, flavors of red berries, crushed stone, melon, and citrus. A bright and fresh sparkling wine with a wonderful creamy texture.
The great news for those hosting large groups is that most of these wines are terrific values. Of course, these are just suggestions and you should drink the type of wines that you enjoy most. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and holiday season!
Please drink responsibly.
