Best Wines for Your Thanksgiving Feast

You’ve bought the turkey. You’ve baked the pumpkin pie. You even have the table set beautifully with matching tableware and crystal. Yet you still don’t know which wines you will be serving with your feast. With all the options, it’s hard to know which types of wines pair best with the various parts of your meal. At least you have one thing going for you: the Thanksgiving menu never changes!

Here are some of the best wines to have on your table at Thanksgiving.

1. Chardonnay

Chardonnay is the most popular wine in America, and for good reason. It’s spicy and sweet and goes well with rich dishes or those that have a nutty or fruit element to them.

2. Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is an excellent wine to serve at Thanksgiving because it is rich and sweet, going well with a hearty meal of turkey, stuffing and potatoes. It’s best to stick to Pinot Noir that is domestically made since these bottles tend to be heavier and sweeter than internationally made ones.

3. Zinfandel

Zinfandel wines are rather dry, but they still leave enough fruity flavor that they won’t get lost at the Thanksgiving table. Plus, Zinfandels are light and fresh, so they’re a great alternative for people who don’t like the heavy, sweet wines commonly served on Thanksgiving.

4. Riesling

Riesling can be either dry or sweet, and because of this, it goes well with salty, sweet or spicy foods. The flavors and notes in Riesling make heavy foods like potatoes, turkey and stuffing taste even better. Also, you can choose Riesling from anywhere in the world and still get the same smooth flavor.

5. Pinot Grigio

Pinot Grigio will be able to handle the heavy flavors found at the Thanksgiving feast. It pairs nicely with high-fat dishes that have rich herbs and flavors, as well as foods that contain onions and garlic.

6. Sparkling Wines

Sparkling wines are not for everyone, but you may want to consider a sparkling wine option for people who prefer a champagne-like drink with their dinner. There are many options to choose from, as some selections are dry while others are sweet. A slightly sweet sparkling wine is a great way to add sweetness to Thanksgiving side dishes.