Thanksgiving tastes evolve slowly. It can take generations for Auntie’s Jell-o mold to vanish from the table and Junior’s kale salad to colonize the void. Wine tastes, on the other hand, evolve more rapidly. One day the chatter’s all about red blends and Sherry, and then—poof!—everyone’s moved on to the Jura and rosé.
Each Thanksgiving season I review and update my canonical article on Thanksgiving wine pairing. To honor shifting fashion, I’ll edit the specifics by, say, adding Etna Rosso and dialing back sweet Riesling. But certain essentials hold true year after year. No single wine works well with every flavor on the Thanksgiving table, but I’ve discovered certain styles that are consistently successful. These run the gamut from sparkling wines to spirited whites and reds to earthier wines that are still light on tannin and alcohol.
This year, after tuning the article’s general advice, I pulled together a list of specific Thanksgiving wines that fit my recommended categories. These wines are all from recent tastings, so you might have a chance of snagging these vintages from your favorite merchant. And in honor of the holiday’s provenance, I’ve only included wines grown and made in America.
Fifty Thanksgiving Wines
Sparkling Wines
Celebratory and cleansing, sparkling wines kick off the meal and refresh the palate between rich bites:
- 2016 Onward Malvasia Pétillant Naturel Capp Inn Ranch Suisun Valley
- 2016 Onward Pinot Noir Rosé Pétillant Naturel Hawkeye Ranch Redwood Valley
- 2015 La Garagista Ci Confonde Rosé Pétillant Naturel Vermont
- 2015 La Garagista Ci Confonde White Pétillant Naturel Vermont
- 2013 ROCO Winery RMS Brut Willamette Valley
Spirited Whites
Great with light meat and vegetarian options, but they can also cut through butter and cream:
- 2016 Gallica Albariño Rorick Heritage Vineyard Calaveras
- 2016 Brooks Riesling Sweet P Eola-Amity Hills
- 2014 Bouchaine Riesling Las Brisas Vineyard Carneros
- 2012 Hermann J. Wiemer Riesling Magdalena Vineyard Seneca Lake
- 2014 Smith-Madrone Riesling Spring Mountain District Napa Valley
- 2015 Whitehall Lane Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley
- 2016 Massican White Wine Annia Napa Valley
- 2016 Brooks Winery White Blend Amycas Willamette Valley
- 2014 Grgich Hills Estate Chardonnay Napa Valley
- 2015 Gundlach Bundschu Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
- 2015 Edna Valley Vineyard Chardonnay Central Coast
- 2014 Broadside Chardonnay Wild Ferment Central Coast
Full-bodied Whites
These wines have the heft to balance bold flavors but they’re fresh enough not to swamp more delicate dishes:
- 2016 Walnut City Wineworks Pinot Gris Willamette Valley
- 2015 Gundlach Bundschu Gewürztraminer Sonoma Coast
- 2016 Dutton Goldfield Gewürztraminer Green Valley
- 2016 Lang & Reed Chenin Blanc Mendocino
- 2016 Dry Creek Vineyard Dry Chenin Blanc Clarksburg
- 2015 DeLille Cellars White Blend Chaleur Blanc Columbia Valley
- 2015 Stinson Vineyards Rkatsiteli Wildkat Monticello
- 2015 Rodney Strong Chardonnay Chalk Hill
- 2014 Balletto Chardonnay Cider Ridge Vineyard Russian River Valley
- 2014 Calera Chardonnay Central Coast
- 2014 Dierberg Chardonnay Drum Canyon Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills
- 2015 Talley Vineyards Chardonnay Monte Sereno Vineyard Arroyo Grande Valley
Rosés
Rosé has lively acidity but often more body than white wines, and its berry flavors complement poultry and vegetable sides:
- 2016 Macari Vineyards Rosé North Fork of Long Island
- 2016 Stinson Vineyards Rosé Virginia
- 2016 Tablas Creek Vineyard Patelin de Tablas Rosé Paso Robles
- 2016 Vinum Cellars Rosé Paso Robles
- 2016 Anthony Nappa White Pinot Noir New York State
- 2016 Walnut City Pinot Noir Rosé Willamette Valley
- 2016 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Rosé Russian River Valley
Juicy Reds
These act like liquid cranberry sauce for the bird, and they’re also light enough for vegetarian fare:
- 2015 Gallica Grenache Steel Plow Vineyard Sonoma Valley
- 2015 Division Wine Company Division-Villages Béton Oregon
- 2016 Olema Pinot Noir Sonoma County
- 2015 Balletto Pinot Noir Burnside Road Vineyard Russian River Valley
- 2012 Onward Pinot Noir Cerise Vineyard Anderson Valley
- 2014 Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Emerald Ridge Vineyard Green Valley of Russian River Valley
Savory, Spicy Reds
Earthier, darker red wines complement the most savory elements on the plate: dark meat turkey, sausage dressing, and bitter greens:
- 2015 Morgan Cotes du Crow’s Monterey
- 2014 Lang & Reed Cabernet Franc North Coast
- 2008 Ridge Syrah Lytton Estate Dry Creek Valley
- 2009 Ridge Syrah Grenache Lytton Estate Dry Creek Valley
- 2013 Dutton-Goldfield Syrah Cherry Ridge Ranch Russian River Valley
- 2010 Ridge Zinfandel Lytton Estate Dry Creek Valley
- 2011 Ridge Zinfandel Carmichael Ranch Sonoma County
- 2015 Dry Creek Vineyard Zinfandel Heritage Vines Sonoma County
You might also enjoy this article on Thanksgiving wine pairing.
Many thanks to Terroirist for recommending this article to their readers.
All but a few of the recommended wines were samples for review. See the individual articles for complete details.
You do know they make wine in Washington, right? Not sure how you can compile a list of 50 domestic wines to recommend and not have one from Washington.
Tom, thanks for reading, and for your enthusiasm for Washington State’s wines. As you note in your follow-up comment, I did include a Washington State wine in the roundup—DeLille’s Chaleur Blanc. I’ve written extensively about Washington this season here and elsewhere after my weeklong visit this spring. Find my articles and other Washington wine reviews in the Washington State category.
Just noticed that you did have one, the Chaleur Estate Blanc (apologize for writing that you didn’t pick one!). Great wine but WA still way under-represented. Cheers!
Yep! My roundup includes wines from California, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington State.