Thanksgiving dinner includes so many different foods, textures and flavors that it may seem impossible to come up with a wine that is great with appetizers and then will pair up with turkey and gravy, sweet potatoes with marshmallows as well as cranberry sauce.
The best place to start is to decide whether you want to serve different wines with each part of the meal or if you plan to have one wine to carry the day. Next, ask yourself what types of wines you like to drink. For example, if you like red wines, it is not hard to imagine that red wine will work just fine and you can start there.
Sparkling wine is one way to go if you are considering using one wine throughout the meal. Their crisp acidity and palate-cleansing bubbles cut through all the various layers of flavors and textures from appetizers right through dessert. Also, sparkling wines turn every meal into a celebration. Champagne is great but can be pricey if you are entertaining a big crowd. Prosecco and Cava are very good alternatives and much friendlier to the budget.
If you are partial to white wine, Riesling is the classic pairing with Thanksgiving dinner. Contrary to popular belief, all Rieslings are not sweet. They can range from bone dry to very sweet so you have a choice of what best fits your taste. Whether dry or sweet, Rieslings show notes of peach, pear and apple along with citrus. Their fresh acidity not only balances out the sweeter versions but also makes them very food friendly.
Some other white wines to consider are Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Albariño. In addition to their delicious fruit flavors, each of these wines have a fresh acidity that makes them perfect with food.
For all the red wine lovers out there, Pinot Noir is a traditional Thanksgiving favorite. Along with notes of strawberry, raspberry and cherry fruit, Pinot Noir can also show some earthy and herbal notes that makes it a good match for all those Thanksgiving dinner flavors. Their light-bodied style, smooth tannins and fresh acidity go well with all of that heavy food.
If you prefer more full-bodied red wines, red Zinfandel is a good choice for Thanksgiving dinner pairing. Its dark fruit character and soft tannins match well turkey and all the fixings.
Not just for warm weather drinking, rosé wines are perfect with Thanksgiving dinner. You get the best of both worlds; the fruit character of a red wine with the fresh acidity of a white. Many distributors are hesitant to stock rosés after the summer so you may not be able to find some of your favorites but there are still plenty available for holiday drinking.
Dessert calls for a Tawny Port or a Cream Sherry. These fortified wines are sweet and have a nutty character that matches well with pumpkin pie. Remember, a little bit goes a long way.
I hope you find these suggestions helpful. This is a time for giving thanks, counting your blessings and spending time with family and friends. The wine will only enhance the experience.
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