You might plan to attend a raucous Thanksgiving with an array of relatives and chosen family, or carefully curate a party of one. No matter the size of your celebration, with so many hearty foods around the table, it can be difficult to cater to every taste.
Of course, there are some tried-and-true Thanksgiving pairings. Lighter, fruity reds like Gamay, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir pair well with turkey, whether it’s roasted or deep fried, while heftier whites are better equipped to hold up to rich side dishes. And bubbles go with everything. The key is to look for wines with high acidity to cut through the snooze-inducing weight of the meal.
Try these 10 wines to keep everyone at the table smiling and giving thanks.
Red Car 2018 Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast); $38, 94 points. Deliciously crisp in tangerine, this lovely white features a pear-like creaminess on the midpalate, a complex complement that tangles through structured, nuanced elegance. This boasts fruit from several vineyard designates, including grapes from Zephyr (80% of the mix), Red Car estate (13%) and Mohrhardt (7%). —Virginie Boone
E. Guigal 2019 Condrieu; $68, 93 points. Notes of candied grapefruit peel, lilac and apricot perfume this bright, sunny Viognier. While fermented and matured in one-third new oak, it balances smoky, spicy, vanilla-cream richness well against pristine tangerine and white-peach flavors, with an invigorating lift of tangerine acidity on the finish. Delicious young, the wine should gain honeyed nuances through 2030. Vintus LLC. Editors’ Choice. —Anna Lee C. Iijima
Devil’s Corner 2020 Chardonnay (Tasmania); $19, 92 points. This is a well-priced Chardonnay that champions the distinct character of Australia’s coolest climate winegrowing region. It offers flavors of melon, peach, ginger and toasty oak nuances. It’s both corpulent and refreshing, linear and crisp, with a salty mineral note adding complexity to the fleshy fruit and spice flavors. Old Bridge Cellars. Editors’ Choice. —Christina Pickard
Nino Franco NV Brut (Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore); $25, 92 points. A lovely sparkler, this has delicate aromas of white spring flowers, white stone fruits and botanical herbs. On the elegantly foaming palate, fresh acidity lifts creamy white peach, ripe yellow pear and a hint of hazelnut. Terlato Wines International. —Kerin O’Keefe
Domaines Laurent Perrachon & Fils 2019 Les Mouilles (Juliénas); $21, 91 points. From a steep, south-facing vineyard planted with 70-year-old vines, this rich wine has great potential. Tannins support the black berry fruits and acidity. The wine will be best from 2022. Pioneer Wine & Spirits of Louisiana. —Roger Voss
La Honda Winery 2019 Sequence Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains); $28, 91 points. Very light in the glass, this bottling begins with aromas of hibiscus, red-plum peel and cinnamon. There’s an orange-rind tartness to the palate, with sumac and pomegranate flavors as well as a dusty earth minerality. —Matt Kettmann
Husch 2020 Gewurztraminer (Anderson Valley); $16, 90 points. Enticing rose petal aromas and generous litchi, peach and honeysuckle flavors provide a potpourri of sensations in this medium-bodied and richly textured wine. Good concentration helps create a lingering, floral finish. —Jim Gordon
Living Roots 2019 Woodland Cherry Cabernet Franc (New York); $24, 90 points. Aromas of cranberry pie filling, flecked with anise, clove and cinnamon, shows lift and intensity on the nose thanks to a light lacing of menthol. The medium-bodied palate is supple and juicy, bursting with bright berry flavors dotted with sweet and savory spices. It ends lifted and bright, making this a balanced pour. —Alexander Peartree
Llopart 2018 Rosé Brut Reserva Mètode Tradicional Corpinnat Sparkling (Spain); $28, 90 points. Lightly bready aromas of cantaloupe and citrus fruits open this lively sparkling rosé. Flavors of orange, apricot and apple start out with force before transitioning to pink grapefruit and orange accents that carry to a steady finish. Jorge Ordóñez Selections. —Michael Schachner
Villa Maria 2019 Reserve Pinot Noir (Marlborough); $35, 90 points. This is a polished, appealing Pinot that opens with lifted aromas of licorice, savory herbs and violets amidst plump plum and berry fruit. The medium-bodied palate threaded gently with savory tannins. This should gain complexity with a few more years in bottle. Drink through 2029. Winebow Imports. —C.P.
Last Updated: October 5, 2023
