What Wine Should Be Served With Your Thanksgiving Meal?

Did you know that with Thanksgiving on the way, more wine is sold for that meal than for any other meal of the year including Easter and Christmas. So if you are planning to have wine with yours, here is a little guide for you to choose from. Remember, drink what you like and that this is just a guide to help you shop for something if you are not sure. Here are some good picks to have with your turkey dinner.

Sparkling: Serve a glass or two before dinner just for starters. If you want a sparkling with the meal, go with a brut (dry) and not something sweet like Spumante.

Whites: Although Chardonnay is the old standby, many have too much oak or intensity for a turkey dinner. If you must use one, go with one that is lighter and fruitier. Better wines to pick from would include Viognier, which is floral and fruity with low acidity. Chenin Blanc is spicy and slightly sweet with higher acidity. These will probably be harder to find as there are not a lot of them out there. Sauvignon Blanc is light and crisp with grassy and herb flavors and higher acidity. A Riesling can be sweet or dry so know what you want and read the label. Their spicy, fruity flavor can be perfect with turkey. My favorite pick would be a Gewurztraminer. Again, a little harder to find, they can also be sweet or dry. With spice notes of clove or nutmeg, these can be perfect for that holiday bird.

Reds: Yes, you can serve reds with turkey, and I usually do. Cabernets don't do well here as the tannins and body of the wine will overpower the turkey. Go with a lighter bodied wine like Pinot Noir (my choice). These are lighter and younger fruity wines that pair well with turkey or ham. A good Zinfandel would work with intense fruit flavor and spicy or peppery notes. Beaujolais can work well as they are also light and fruity. Choose a recent vintage if you go that route.

Remember, neither the whites or reds should be served very cold as that will cause them to lose some of the flavor. A good rule of thumb is to serve them at cellar temperature which is about 50 to 60 degrees. A good way to accomplish this is to put the bottle in the fridge about an hour before you are ready to open it. You might leave the whites in a little longer, maybe two hours at most. We have a lot of good wines in these categories here at G&M, so make sure you grab one we sell. Just ask if you are not sure. Enjoy shopping for your holiday wines. Cheers!