Thanksgiving Wine Picks

Thanksgiving is two sleeps away, two! How did that happen? In some ways, 2020 has been a rather slow year but in others, as the holidays creep in on us, it feels like it’s gone in a blink of an eye. Although the holiday season already feels much different than it has in years past, wherever you are, we hope you’ve found a way to spend this Thanksgiving in peace, with hope, and endless gratitude.

If you are having a special meal—whether with those you live with, with a very small group of friends and family, or you’re flying solo to keep your loved ones safe—here are some last minute tips on wine pairings. We’re sure you’ll find something for your mood and your meal and, no matter what you pick, always remember the rule: the best wine is the one that you enjoy the most and brings you the best of memories!

VIOGNIER

Viognier is often a forgotten wine during Thanksgiving, in our opinion it is a perfect variant to her more popular sister, Chardonnay, and its rich body and beautiful fruit and floral notes are a perfect compliment to your Thanksgiving turkey! We love Viognier from the Rhone Valley, in France, but you can also find more value Viogniers from Washington State and South Australia.

Chenin Blanc

Chenin Blanc tends to be overlooked, especially at Thanksgiving. It is often off-dry, meaning it has a touch of residual sugar remaining, however you can also find dry Chenin Blanc — either will be fantastic at your Thanksgiving table! Chenin Blanc has all of the tasting notes of autumn: apple, quince, pear, persimmon, honeysuckle, ginger and brioche. It carries a medium plus to high acidity to help cut through all of the buttery, fatty sides of your meal (we’re talking to you, mashed potatoes!). Look for Chenin Blanc from South Africa, France (from the well known region of Vouvray, if you want to splurge!) and even from here, in the States. Dare we say Chenin Blanc is the perfect Thanksgiving white wine?

Gamay

It is difficult not to love Gamay as the perfect light bodied red wine for Thanksgiving! We all know about Beaujolais and Beaujolais Nouveau (Regions in France) by now, as it has been rising in popularity in the U.S. as a go-to Thanksgiving wine for a few years now, and for good reason—it is truly a perfect pairing! Gamay is light bodied but still able to stand up to the dark meat of the turkey, packs a fruit punch that is beautiful with cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes, and just earthy enough to pair eloquently with stuffing and green beans. It typically carries a more affordable price point, too! We love French Gamays, obviously, but often crush on Gamay from our back yard here in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, like this Suzor Gamay.

Cahors

Let’s talk about a little bit bigger wine for Thanksgiving! We personally aren’t huge fans of full bodied red wines at the table—sorry, Aunt Linda, but your Cabernet Sauvignon is too much of a bully for this meal. However, for all of our ‘we need a full bodied red at all times’ friends, we love going for a fruit forward, bold Malbec with some sophistication and savory qualities like from the region of Cahors in France. Malbec is perfect with the umami part of your menu, like all the mushrooms in your meal and is the perfect supplement to herbs like sage, mint and rosemary. If you can’t find a Cahors, you will definitely find a Malbec from Argentina—about 80% of all Malbec comes from the Mendoza region!

Champagne

This right here is our forever and always kind of pairing! We will never not suggest a Champagne for a special meal. Yes, there are amazing alternative sparkling wines out there that we also know and love. And yes, Champagne carries a higher price tag. In our humble opinion, it is because Champagne is just… well, better. It will pair perfectly as your pre-dinner drink, your dessert drink and everything in between. This is our splurge pick because it’s 2020 and it’s well deserved!