By Bill Goetz
Wine Buyer, Vine Republic
Decisions, decisions, decisions! What wine(s) should you serve with Thanksgiving dinner? We can help you with that. Since Thanksgiving is an American Holiday with a somewhat scripted menu, what follows is based on that traditional menu, and the wines are all American.
There are general rules to keep in mind. Reds and Whites should have lively fruit and ample acidity. Whites should also be fragrant, and Reds should also be low in tannin. The overall effect of tannin is one of drying – an effect the white meat of your roast turkey is not looking for.
People ask if there is one wine that will work across the board for Thanksgiving, and there is. It is a Traditional Method Sparkling wine (Champagne, in France). Sparkling wine can effectively handle the Thanksgiving soup-to-nuts journey without misstep. While I normally drink Brut, and Brut will work, for Thanksgiving I suggest Blanc de Noirs or Rosé, which are dry like Brut but show a little more fruit.
For still whites, the most highly recommended is DRY Riesling. It is lively, fragrant, and has wonderful acidity. It will deal well with most of the flavors of the day and will also serve as a palate cleanser. If you are still afraid of Riesling, try a domestic Pinot Gris (the French name of the grape that’s called Pinot Grigio in Italy). It has the acidity of Italian Pinot Grigios, but typically shows more fruit intensity and fragrance, and provides a solid alternative to the Riesling. If you feel you must drink Chardonnay, drink one without oak.
For the reds, two favorites are Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. Just so we’re on the same page, Zinfandel is red (not pink,) and it is not sweet. Zinfandel deals nicely with the earthier fall pumpkin pie spice flavors of Thanksgiving – as well as root vegetables like yellow turnips. It works especially well with dark-meat turkey. Pinot Noir accentuates the fruit flavors of many Thanksgiving sides, particularly those with cranberry, and, as it often shows notes of mushroom, deals well with the more savory dishes.
While you can drink whatever makes you happy (and you should,) I would not drink a Cabernet because of the tannins… unless you are going to swap out your turkey for a Prime Rib/Chateaubriand.
Following are some of our favorites of the varietals discussed above, and you can put them in your shopping cart for less than $20 per bottle. Sample them (or any other of our several thousand wines) in advance of Thanksgiving. We are sure that some or all will end up on your Thanksgiving table. Cheers!
Sparkling: Gruet NV Blanc de Noir
White: Forge Cellars 2021 Finger Lakes Dry Riesling, J Vineyards 2023 California Pinot Gris Chehalem 2022 Columbia Valley Chardonnay
Red: Sean Minor 2022 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, Ken Wright 2023 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Precision 2018 Alexander Valley Zinfandel
