Selecting the Best Thanksgiving Wines

Are you looking for the best wines for Thanksgiving dinner? Here’s a complete guide on how to select the best thanksgiving wines. We will help you select the perfect wine - or wines - to enjoy delicious, food-friendly vintages, read on.

The Thanksgiving Wine

In light of the variety of foods and flavors for Thanksgiving dinner, selecting a single wine can be challenging. Fortunately, there are so many choices! The menu includes both light and dark meat. The holiday feast consists of yams rich in sweetness, tart cranberries drizzled with butter, mashed potatoes and stuffing made from a variety of ingredients, as well as spiced pumpkin pie.

This year, there's a bit of relief since we will be hosting virtual Thanksgiving celebrations, which means you can select your personal favorites rather than trying to please everyone. Choosing wines that go well with traditional Thanksgiving fare is possible, even if you are limiting the number of items on your table for the members of your household. If you are not providing wine for a large group, think about purchasing half bottles so you will not have any leftover bottles at the end of the meal. 

Thanksgiving wine pairings are not subject to fixed rules. Wine is best served with food that you enjoy. We believe this to be true. It is, however, generally agreed that lighter, livelier, and less alcoholic wines are better suited to accompany a Thanksgiving feast than heavier, more complex ones. Luckily, we have gathered the best wines to pair with the dishes on your Thanksgiving menu (not to mention that this will keep you awake!) But if you are looking for the best wines to complement your menu, we can help.

Food and Wine Pairing

A novice may be intimidated by the world of food and wine pairing. Superfoods and wines combine to enhance both the taste of wine and the taste of food. Consider other tastes that you may not be familiar with if you are not familiar with the best wine combination.

Initially, recommendations and guidelines can be helpful when making pairing selections, but ultimately the choice will be based on personal preference.

 There are many simple rules for pairing food with wines, such as white wines accompanying white sauces and meats and red wines accompanying red meat and red sauces. While there are other possibilities to the basic rule of thumb, pork is a good starting point, but this is the simplest way to begin pairing food and wine.

Here are some examples of Food & Wine Pairings.

Seafood and Wine Pairings

According to the National Health Service (NHS), we should consume two portions of seafood every week. Fish fillets or a platter of shellfish are perfect companions to a glass of wine, although there is no 'one bottle fits all' for this experience.

Melon de Bourgogne PairME, The Wine For Seafood

It works well with deep-fried foods as the bubbles and citrus flavours help wash away any fats or oils present while eating. They also possess a hint of sweetness, which will ensure a balance between the saltiness and sweetness of fried squid. You won't go back to ordinary calamari once you have tried Melon de Bourgogne PairME.

Pairing Wine and Steak

Our thoughts on which steak should be paired with which wine are influenced by two primary factors. The factors are as follows.

Fattiness – In general, a richer steak should be accompanied by less robust wine. An excessive amount of richness may appear overwhelming. Combining high acidity with a slice of fatty meat is also pleasant because it counteracts the umami flavours.

Seasoning – As a steak seasoned exclusively with salt and pepper is very versatile, it is appropriate to pair it with virtually any kind of wine. With steaks flavoured with sweet ingredients, a sweet wine should not be served. An excessive amount of sweetness would be inappropriate.

It would be better if strongly spiced, or highly seasoned meats were paired with light, fruit-based wines rather than robust or spicy wines.

You will, however, be able to create the best pairing if you keep these guidelines in mind as you choose your steak.

the best red wine for thanksgiving

Cabernet Sauvignon PairME, The Wine for Steak
|This blend combines Cabernet Sauvignon & Syrah!|

The red wine Cabernet Sauvignon is often referred to as the "people pleaser". Cabernets are available in a wide variety, and they tend to be very balanced, making them ideal for beginners. In conjunction with a meaty steak, Cabernet Sauvignon offers an excellent tanginess that cuts through fat and umami foods brilliantly.

Globally, Cabernet grapes are grown. But it is not necessarily true that imported wine is necessarily better. France & Chile are both known for the outstanding taste of their Cabernets. Also, some of the world's best Cabernets are produced in Napa Valley, California.

Pairing Summer Salads With Wine

French rosé PairME, The Wine for Summer Salads
Refreshing rosé (a blend of grenache and syrah)

French rosé is a perfect balance between crisp freshness and luscious berry aromas, without being overly sweet. Especially with traditional summer dishes, such as a delicious salad, this rosé is extremely food-friendly.

Pairing Wine with Pizza

Pizza and wine. Some things in life are just meant to be together, such as bacon and eggs and cookies and cream. There are almost as many pizza toppings available these days as wine varieties, so choosing a pizza topping can be challenging. Therefore, we have compiled this handy little guide to assist you in choosing the perfect wine for your pizza.

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo PairME, The Wine for Pizza

It is a well-balanced Italian red that pairs well with classic Italian dishes such as tomato-based pasta, spicy sausages, and everyone's favourite: cheesy, tangy pizza.

To practice your pairings and note what works and what doesn't, we offer you a few great thanksgiving ideas. Nonetheless, as you practice over time, you will find that you and your guests will do even better with the best wine pairing for thanksgiving day.

Sparkling wine for Thanksgiving

Special occasions are best marked with bubbles. You might serve two flutes with salty and creamy appetizers as a starter. When you fail to make these common champagne mistakes, sparkling wines never create a celebration mood. It is best to serve dry sparkling wine with Thanksgiving dinner, opposed to sweet sparkling wine, like Asti Spumante from Italy. Three sparkling wine options are available:

• Citrusy and crisp prosecco. These Italian options are typically more affordable and easier to obtain than Champagne.

• Cava: Salty, with a fruity taste. In Spanish, it is known as "Champagne of Spain." It enhances strong flavours without competing with them.

• Champagne: It can have a dry or sweet taste. Because of the ageing process, Champagne can tend toward being more wheaty than fruity. This wine pairs well with salty, nutty, and creamy foods. Don't forget to grab an extra bottle to use in sparkling sorbet floats over the long weekend!

Thanksgiving and white wine

Chardonnay is an ideal wine for everyday consumption. In our opinion, it will be too buttery and intense to be among our top Thanksgiving wine choices (unless you choose an unoaked Chardonnay). For a lighter Thanksgiving salad and side dish, opt for a white wine that is refreshing, tangy, and fruity. Consider the following options: 

• Viognier: Floral and fruity, with notes of peach, apricot, and pear. Acidity is low.

• Chenin Blanc: A slightly sweet and spicy wine with high acidity.

• Dry or sweet Gewurztraminer. This wine is high in aroma with floral notes and spice notes such as clove and nutmeg. Gewurtz means "spiced" in German.

red wine for Thanksgiving

The best wines to pair with turkey are red wines. In general, Cabernet is not a good match for Thanksgiving turkey as it is generally too tart and high in tannins (that astringent quality that makes your mouth feel dry when drinking it). It would be better to serve a lighter red with low acidity to balance out the richness.

Red wines for Thanksgiving are characterized by a light berry brightness that contrasts well with the richness of the traditional menu. Some valuable options include:

• Syrah: Strong hints of black pepper and spice. Syrahs that are older tend to be more fruity and smokier. In Australia, this wine is also known as Shiraz.

• Beaujolais: Dry and light with fruity aromas and flavours. Whenever possible, pick vintages from the last several years and serve the wine slightly chilled. 

• Pinot Noir: Younger wines have a plum, strawberry, cherry, and raspberry flavour profile. More mature wines are smoky in flavour. 

Thanksgiving with Rose Wines

The popularity of the rose is on the rise. An ideal Thanksgiving wine, this crisp, light, and fruity pink wine may rise. It is the perfect choice to accompany a heavy Thanksgiving meal. It is best served chilled.

• French Rosé: Crisp, refreshing, and citrusy, this French wine is the gold standard of rosé.

• Pinot Noir rosé: Rosé is traditionally a red wine, but the rosé version is full-bodied with a hint of acidity.

SUMMARY

The best types of thanksgiving wine actually depend on your thanksgiving menu, however, PairME’s number 1 goal is to provide customers with more straightforward products to streamline the time spent on overthinking what wine goes with what food. View our catalogue, click here.