Top 5 Wines for Thanksgiving
It’s hard to believe that it is already fall, but the holiday season is in full swing! You might have started decorating the day after Halloween or maybe you’re waiting until December 1st to start playing Christmas music, but I think we can all agree that this time of year always sneaks up on us. And if you live in the United States, then Thanksgiving is just around the corner.
Check out Episode #148 on YouTube to get my top 3 tips for a stressfree Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving is such a great holiday to spend intentional time thinking of all of the blessings that we have, and I truly hope that for you, one of those blessings is a community that you’ll celebrate this holiday with! Whether you are getting together with your immediate or extended family, in-laws, or friends, Thanksgiving provides us with time to get together with loved ones and share a meal.
Since Thanksgiving can be a little stressful in planning that meal and all of the details of the day, let me help you pick out your wine! Here is a breakdown of the top 5 wines for Thanksgiving 2023:
Beaujolais Nouveau: Even though this is a French wine, it’s perfect for American Thanksgiving! Beaujolais Nouveau is unique because it is the first wine to be released for the year. It is harvested quickly, blended, bottled and shipped all over the world to be released traditionally on the 3rd Thursday of November. It’s considered celebratory in the wine industry because it means the harvest has ended and because it is so fresh and isn’t aged, it has really unique fruity flavors that are unlike any other wine on the market. Because of the light, fruity flavors, it’s perfect to pair with turkey and all of the traditional sides at your Thanksgiving meal. Few people in the U.S. have ever heard of Beaujolais Nouveau, so you can wow all of your friends and family by explaining that this wine is the first fruits of the harvest and the first wines to be released this year. It’s perfect to start off the holiday season. (You can learn more about Beaujolais Nouveau in Episode #4 of The Wine CEO Podcast.)
Pinot Noir: New World Pinot is another light bodied, fresh and fruit driven red wine that pairs perfectly with cranberry sauce and all the turkey fixings. While Pinot Noir is fruity and light, it’s also acidic, which means it’s a perfect pairing with food. The acid will make you salivate and get ready to eat a heavy thanksgiving meal. The Pinot Noirs from Oregon are especially perfect pairings for your Thanksgiving meals and here are a few of my favorites: Erath, Argyle, La Crema, Ponzi, Domaine Drouhin, and EZY TGR. If you want to learn more about wines from Oregon and some great picks for this Fall, check out my recent episode with Johan Vineyards in the Willamette Valley.
Chardonnay: A lot of California Chardonnays are aged in oak and have a buttery, creamy flavor due to a process called Malolactic fermentation. This makes them a great pairing to a lot of Thanksgiving sides that have a lot of butter. I’m thinking of mashed potatoes, stuffing, casseroles - lots of classic sides! In contrast to light, fruity Pinot Noirs from Oregon, a California Chardonnay is going to be full-bodied and warmer, but won’t be too strong for a turkey or some other main dish. Here are some suggestions for California Chardonnays: Far Niente, Cakebread, Sonoma Cutrer, and Frank Family.
Riesling: American Rieslings have quintessential fall flavors, like apple, pear, ripe peaches and citrus. This white wine is a great compliment to fall recipes that use cinnamon, caramel, or some of the fruit I mentioned previously. Though Riesling is usually considered to be on the sweeter side, American Riesling can be sweeter or a little on the dryer side. Either would work for your Thanksgiving meal and will bring out the different flavors of your food. Here are some suggestions for American Rieslings: Chateau Ste Michelle (Special Label - Eroica), Poet's Leap, Forge Cellars (NY), and Leelanau Cellars (MI).
U.S. Sparkling: If you ever feel stuck when looking for wine, I always suggest bubbles! You really can’t go wrong with bubbles. Sparkling wine is generally enjoyed by a lot of people and it’ll go great with all parts of your meal from appetizers to the main course to dessert. Here are some suggestions for U.S. Sparkling wines: J Vineyards, Iron Horse (Or French Champagne houses in California like Mumm, Roederer, Chandon, Piper, and more).
**bonus tips: I love drinking rosè with my leftovers! Nothing quite beats a turkey sandwich with a refreshing glass of rosè. Try a rose from Pinot noir or Grenache for a bold but fruity pairing.
I hope those suggestions are helpful as you plan out your Thanksgiving meal. For other general wine tips for your Thanksgiving meal, check out Episode #98 of the Wine CEO Podcast. Remember that you can always contact me for personalized recommendations by emailing me at sarah@thewineceo.com or messaging me on social media. I’d love to help you plan your perfect food and wine pairings! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!