These Wines Deserve a Place at Your Thanksgiving Table
- 1/16
These Wines Deserve a Place at Your Thanksgiving Table
Even the most expertly cooked feast (or expertly-chosen catering) can benefit from pairing with the prefect wine—the right blend of flavor notes, tannins, and acids can bring out the subtlest nuances in your food, taking a meal from excellent to extraordinary. So after you've spent weeks planning and prepping to make this most over-the-top of family holidays flawless, the last thing you want is to pair your golden-skinned roast turkey with whatever dusty, re-gifted bottle Cousin Nancy dug out of the back of her pantry.
With so many salads, sides, and sauces on the table, planning a pairing can be tricky, but don't worry, you can still pull off a sommelier-quality dinner pairing (and save that bottle of Nancy's for sangria.) All you need to do is to follow our guide to expert-approved bottles and crowd-pleasing sips; we've got everything you need to pour from the time the first guest steps through the door until there's nothing left to do but the dishes.
- 2/16
Lillet Blanc
Collection:
reservebar.com
$25.00
Thanksgiving is a marathon, not a sprint, so warm up your palate European-style with a light aperitif. This French classic, made with with carefully selected white wine macerated with citrus fruits, zest, and aromatic barks is designed to wake up the palate with a blend of sweetness and faintly floral notes. Serve it over ice for an easy pre-dinner sip.
reservebar.com - 3/16
G.H.Mumm Grand Cordon
G.H.Mumm
reservebar.com
$50.00
Champagne might feel like a pre-dinner libation, but the crisp taste of a brut cuvee deserves a spot at the table too. This bottle boasts nuances of autumnal fruit and honey, with a hint of perfectly baked pastry and fine, vibrant bubbles that get your tastebuds in the mood for food.
reservebar.com - 4/16
Tania et Vincent Careme Terre Brulee Chenin Blanc
wine.com
$15.99
South African chenin blancs have been all the rage in recent years of their bold flavor profiles and brilliant value. The most widely produced grape in South Africa, it provides a complex fruitiness offset by white florals, like the flavors found in this citrus-and-honeysuckle forward bottle.
wine.com - 5/16
Foxen Winery Chardonnay
wineaccess.com
$38.00
Give the oaky chardonnay lovers at your table something to remember with this under-the-radar bottle that gives the requisite notes of caramel and toasted bread, along with a satiny character that allows it to stand up tot he richer options on the plate.
wineaccess.com - 6/16
Villa Maria Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2021
Villa Maria
vivino.com
$24.95
New Zealand sauvignon blancs are famous for their herbaceous, vegetal notes, which make for a perfect accompaniment for the green options on your table, from green bean casserole to brussels sprouts.
vivino.com - 7/16
The Pale
totalwine.com
$15.49
Rosé is beloved by fans, not only for its easy drinking quality, but also for its ability to pair with a wide variety of flavors. This crisp version has notes of fresh berries and a palate-cleansing acidity that will make it an all-around crowd pleaser for the Thanksgiving table. (The charming label also makes it an ever-welcome hostess gift.)
totalwine.com - 8/16
Labrusca Lambrusco Rosso
lambrusco
vivino.com
$15.99
Lambrusco is a tried-and-true Thanksgiving pairing for good reason. A happy medium with the benefits of the bubbly refreshment of a sparkling wine, the acidic bite of a good white, and the tannic body of a red, this off-dry varietal is astonishingly versatile—perfect for a meal where you're piling your plate high.
vivino.com - 9/16
Jean-Paul Brun Domaine des Terres Dorees Beaujolais L'Ancien Vieilles
wine.com
$18.99
"I know it may seem a little played out but beaujolais still remains a great Thanksgiving wine, especially one like Jean-Paul Brun’s 'L’Ancien,' says sommelier Jason Wagner. "This wine is juicy and refreshing, goes with a wide range of foods like you will likely have at Thanksgiving and most importantly, comes in right around $20. Remember, you’re going to be enjoying wine all day long so you’re going to want something that won’t weigh down your palate and isn’t so expensive that it feels like a waste when your aunt puts ice cubes in it."
wine.com - 10/16
2021 Sonoma Bench Pinot Noir
wineaccess.com
$24.00
"Pinot Noir is turkey with cranberry sauce’s best friend," says sommelier Jeff Taylor. A supple dark cherry palate with earthy hints of truffle make this bottle a great pick that will play well with the main attraction—your turkey, of course—as well as all the sides.
wineaccess.com - 11/16
Duckhorn Napa Merlot
Duckhorn Vineyards
reservebar.com
$58.00
The word "merlot" might inspire instant Sideways flashbacks, but there's a reason that Bordeaux wines (merlot is one of the region's most common varietals) are famous for their pairing power. With a fruit-forward palate and lightness on the tongue, merlot is incredibly food-friendly, especially with duck, lean beef, or, yes, turkey.
reservebar.com - 12/16
Dust to Glory Cabernet Sauvignon
wineaccess.com
$38.00
Prefer a bigger red with your meal? This cab, whose pedigree would normally call for a much higher price tag, provides a nice body and smooth tannins layered with spice and dark fruit. It pairs perfectly with richer flavors like a classic baked ham or even prime rib, for those who want to create their own Thanksgiving traditions.
wineaccess.com - 13/16
Bruno by Karthauserhof Riesling
wineaccess.com
$19.00
Sweet-savory sides like sweet potatoes, roasted squash, and cranberry sauce can be tricky to pair with because of their duality. Lean into the mix with a bright riesling with a hint of sweetness that will simultaneously offset and complement those sugars.
wineaccess.com - 14/16
Gran Barquero Solera 25 Anos Amontillado
wineaccess.com
$28.00
"Toast" and "nuttiness" are the watchwords for sherry, which makes it an ideal pairing for all of those decadent Thanksgiving desserts. This amontillado offers a delightfully dry, saline note accented by citrus peel and spice that make it a note perfect match for pecan or pumpkin pies.
wineaccess.com - 15/16
Sandeman 10 YO Aged Tawny
Sandeman
reservebar.com
$34.00
If you prefer to pair your dessert smorgasbord with a sweeter tipple, a tawny port is the way to go. Filled with dried fruit notes that are ideal with any dessert selection as well as a hint of warm toastiness, it's a taste of fall in a glass.
reservebar.com - 16/16
Dom Pérignon Vintage 2003 Plénitude 2
vivino.com
$479.99
We can't think of a better way to finish a celebratory meal or day than with an exceptional champagne. On rare occasions, Dom Pérignon lets their wines continue the aging process, developing in a way that takes the champagne to new heights years later in their ultra-rare Plénitude 2 program. The 2003 bottling is just such a vintage.
vivino.com
