(You Should Probably Pick Something Else)
I’m sharing with you the wines I expect to serve with dinner on Thanksgiving. But this is not your list. It shouldn’t be your list. Wines are personal. What you choose will depend on what you’re most excited about. Is your menu revolving around the giant roasted bird? Are you more excited about the marshmallow-dotted sweet potatoes? Is the meal just a gateway to the pecan pie?
These are the questions – and answers – that will lead you to the right wine selection of your own.
Some people just want to be told what to do. I get it. So go ahead and lift my wine list if you want. You can even take credit for it when people compliment your pairings. It’s not like I’m going to be at your table. It’s not like you invited me…
| Cari’s Thanksgiving Wine List: Levert Cremant De Bourgogne BrutBlack Stallion Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, 2018 2021 BROUILLY from Alex Foillard Ruffino Moscato d’Asti |
Arrival Wine
I don’t do big holiday gatherings anymore. I come from a large family, and my memories of packed living rooms and shoulder-to-shoulder seatings around the table are fond memories, and I’m going to leave them there in the past, when the world was different and so was I. Small, intimate gatherings are more my vibe now, and I’m grateful for a small circle of friends and family who like to keep holidays simple and special.
So as the people gather, I will be pouring a sparkler. Of course. The welcome glass of bubbles is something that I absolutely insist upon. It reminds me of Trattoria Cesarino, one of my favorite restaurants in Florence, where we’re greeted with a glass of Prosecco whether we’re arriving for the mid-week lunch special or the early New Year’s Eve seating.
This year for me it’s the Levert Cremant De Bourgogne Brut. Why? It’s from the Burgundy region of France and I’m feeling things for France these days. This wine is fresh and quite fine. Someone at a tasting recently said it was biscuits on the palate, and while I personally never noticed that (I was focused on the acidity and the florals), I can’t get it out of my head now, and I look forward to thinking about biscuits when I taste this on turkey day. You should be able to find this for around $20 a bottle.
Any sparkler will be a good way to get your party going. Choose a Cava or a Prosecco or even a sweet, happy Moscato if that’s what makes you feel festive.
Meal Time Wine
Two meal time wines for the main event:
- For white wine drinkers, I’m offering the Black Stallion Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, 2018. It’s medium-bodied and just right for turkey. The aromas are high-energy and tropical. This wine has won some awards but it’s still pretty affordable, at around $25. Fun fact, I only ever tried this wine because a few years ago, Wine.com sent me the wrong bottle. It was a happy mistake.
- For red wine drinkers, and count me among them, we’re sipping the 2021 BROUILLY from Alex Foillard. This is a Beaujolais, yes, France again, I warned you I was feeling French, and a juicy, very-delightful red wine made from the Gamay grape. In 2026, (here’s another warning) I’m going to completely nerd out on Beaujolais and do a deep dive into the 12 appellations of this remarkable region. Watch this space, as they say… Anyway, I love this wine and it’s perfect for Thanksgiving and the $45 investment is worth it. Serve slightly chilled but not cold.
Whatever you choose, make sure it’s not going to overpower the food and remember that if your Thanksgiving table resembles most Thanksgiving tables, there’s a lot of different food forms and features. Potatoes, vegetables, bread, and of course the bird. You don’t need a wine that competes with all that. Keep it simple and complementary.
Winding Down Wine
Some people will choose a Port wine or a Sauternes for dessert. I support both those choices.
Over here, it will be a Ruffino Moscato d’Asti. This is a sweet, fruity wine that will pair well with pumpkin pie, anything apple, and even those more non-traditional possibilities like crème brûlée. There’s citrus and peach and this wine is probably sweeter than your desserts, so that’s going to provide a nice balance and a perfect palate cleanser. It’s not about looks, but this wine is also gorgeous in the glass. It’s about $10.
A Note About Thanksgiving in America
My Thanksgiving table with be set in Gainesville, Florida, which was occupied by The Potano people, a subgroup of the Timucua tribe. After the Timucua came the Seminoles, who were Creek People from nearby Georgia and Alabama. They were here first, and I’m grateful their stories are fixed to this land now occupied by a diverse melting pot of people.
Happy Thanksgiving, friends.
xo, Cari
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