Which Wines Are Best To Serve With Thanksgiving Dinner?
While there are certainly plenty of things to be thankful for and many other things to worry about, it’s difficult to be away from loved ones during a time of year that’s all about spending time with love ones. No matter where you’re enjoying your turkey day meal this year, we’re thinking of you and your family AND if you think like us, you know that one thing that helps to heal the pain is wine!
We’ve listed some of our favorite wines that pair well with your meal this year…
So, Which Wines Are Best To Serve With Thanksgiving Dinner?
**-- PINOT NOIR --**
Pinot Noir is a classic pairing for Thanksgiving
Pinot Noir is a food friendly wine that often shows classic fall flavors such as cranberry, red apple skin, dried leaves, and allspice.
It's delicate red fruit flavors make it a nice compliment to turkey, and it’s great with a sausage stuffing or bacon Brussels sprouts.
(*Try: Hartford Court Russian River Valley, wine.com $34.99)
(*Try: Melville Sta. Rita Hills Estate wine.com $36.99)
California is known for being a hotspot of Pinot Noir production, including this variety from Melville Winery, which has 120 acres of organically-grown grapes.
-- CHARDONNAY --
Just because cooler weather makes us want to cozy up next to the fire with a rich red wine, that doesn’t mean we have to send white wines into hibernation. A buttery white wine has enough body to play against a heavy meal and brings rich flavors like vanilla, butter, and caramel.
(*Try: Z. Alexander Brown Uncaged, wine.com $16.99)
(*Try: Chardonnay: Sonoma-Cutrer wine.com $23.99)
Sonoma County grows more Chardonnay than any other grape variety, so there are so many to choose from; One of our favorites is this bottle from Sonoma-Cutrer
-- ZINFANDEL --
Anyone who loves cranberry sauce with their turkey will love the fruitiness of the sweetest varieties of Zinfandel
(*Try: Quivira Dry Creek Valley wine.com $25.99)
(*Try: Zinfandel: Ridge East Bench wine.com $31.99)
-- SPARKLING WINE --
Sparkling wine provides such a sense of celebration to the day. California sparkling varieties pair well with appetizers including salami, raw veggies, deviled eggs, and seafood bites.
(*Try: Roederer Estate Brut, wine.com $25.99)
(*Try: Sparkling Wine: Chandon Brut, wine.com $17.99)
Chandon Brut is a great budget sparkling option, and it pairs well with salty, creamy, or nutty foods (like pecan pie!)
-- SAUVIGNON BLANC --
(*Try: Sidebar High Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2017 - $20)
This Sauvignon Blanc from famed California winemaker David Ramey is easy to sip on its own, but it really needs food to show off its best stuff. Bracing and refreshing, it’s a great wine to help clean and refresh your palate between bites (and helpings).
(*Try: Humo Blanco Sauvignon Blanc 2018 - $15)
This Sauvignon Blanc from Chile’s Colchagua Valley has all the citrus and acid you’re used to from this grape, but there’s an underlying spine of minerals that give this depth and panache.
-- WHICH WINES PAIR BEST WITH WHICH DISHES??? --
Thanksgiving celebrations are going to look a little different this year as we shift focus to more intimate gatherings with our nearest and dearest in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, to add a little fun to what has been an unarguably stressful year, we thought we'd rethink the Thanksgiving dinner approach. Instead of turning the night into an all-you-can-eat marathon, why not try an evening of wine pairings instead?
https://www....giving-dishes
*Note:
While fuller-bodied wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are crowd-pleasers, their bold and typically oaky notes are better suited to the roasted red meats of December’s holidays. If you love them, by all means, serve them. But the assorted whites and reds on this list are can’t-miss options for your Thanksgiving table.
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