We are officially ONE WEEK away from Thanksgiving…..can you believe it?! Today on the blog, I wanted to bring you a wine guide for the upcoming holiday. I know many people walk into the grocery store without a clue of what to buy when it comes to wine. It can be really overwhelming and confusing since there are thousands of bottles right in front of your face. If you’re like most people, you might pick the second cheapest bottle that has a 90+ rating. That can be a good strategy if you no NOTHING about wine, but if you’re wanting to learn a little bit more…….keep reading.
Today I’m bringing you the ultimate wine guide for Thanksgiving. I broke this guide down into three categories: Sparkling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. I believe these are the best types of wine to pair with a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Not only did I break the guide down into those varietals, but I also broke it down into different price points. I know we all have different budgets when it comes to wine, so I wanted to make sure there was a recommendation for everyone.
I hope this guide helps to take the guesswork out of your wine shopping next week. Cheers!
Table of Contents
Sparkling
The nice thing about sparkling wine is that it pairs with everything. If you’re headed to someone’s house for Thanksgiving and you’re not sure what they’re cooking, this would be a good option. You could also bring a bottle of sparkling as an appetizer wine. There’s no better way to get a party started than with a bottle of bubbles!
$10-$20
- Mumm Napa Brut Prestige // $13.97 // Napa
- Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut // $16.99 // Sonoma
- *Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Blancs // $16.99 // Sonoma
- Argyle Brut // $18.99 // Oregon’s Willamette Valley
*Catheryn’s Pick
$20-$30
- *Domaine Carneros Brut // $26.99 // Napa
- J Vineyards Cuvee 20 Brut // $29.99 // Sonoma
- Nicolas Feuillatte Brut // $29.97 // France
*Catheryn’s Pick
Under $50
- *Veuve Clicquot // $45.47 // France
- Perrier Jouet Grant Brut // $40.97 // France
- Moët & Chandon // $38.97 // France
*Catheryn’s Pick
Chardonnay
I think Chardonnay would be the best white wine to pair with your Thanksgiving dinner. Why? Well, a lot of California Chardonnay tends to be buttery in flavor. Now, not ALL Chardonnay has that characteristic, but many producers still like to use 100% new French oak and malolactic fermentation. Malolactic fermentation is what gives the wine a richer and creamier feel.
If you LOVE a buttery Chardonnay, I’d go with the Rombauer Chardonnay from Napa. If the butter flavor isn’t really your thing, I’d go with more of a classic option like a Jordan Chardonnay.
$10-$20
- Fess Parker // $14.49 // Santa Barbara
- Au Bon Climat // $17.99 // Santa Barbara
- *Chateau St. Jean (Robert Young) // $19.99 // Sonoma
- Rodney Strong // $13.99 // Sonoma
- La Crema // $12.99 // Monterey
*Catheryn’s Pick
$20-$30
- *Jordan // $29.97 // Sonoma
- Gary Farrell // $29.99 // Sonoma
- Trefethen // $28.99 // Napa
- Sanford // $21.99 // Santa Barbara
- Truchard // $24.99 // Sonoma
*Catheryn’s Pick
Under $50
- Forman // $39.99 // Napa
- Hanzell // $48.99 // Sonoma
- Chateau Montelena // $44.99 // Napa
- Robert Young // $34.99 // Sonoma
- *Rombauer // $32.97 // Napa
*Catheryn’s Pick
Pinot Noir
You may be wondering, “What is the perfect Thanksgiving wine pairing?” A glass of Pinot Noir (or a bottle) and a delicious piece of turkey. I really don’t think there’s a better wine pairing for turkey. Pinot Noir is extremely delicate, and it won’t take away from the flavors of your meal. Not only is Pinot light and delicate, it also has the PERFECT flavor profile to pair with Thanksgiving Dinner. You’ll typically find notes of cherry, strawberry and raspberry. The tannins are low and acidity tends to be a bit higher in Pinot Noir.
I typically buy Pinot Noir from one of these three regions: Willamette Valley, Santa Barbara or Sonoma’s Russian River Valley. I almost always have a pleasant experience when purchasing a Pinot Noir from one of those locations. If I had to recommend just one wine from this list below, I’d probably go with the Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir out of Santa Barbara.
$10-$20
- Gloria Ferrer // $17.99 // Sonoma
- *Argyle // $19.97 // Oregon’s Willamette Valley
- Decoy // $16.97 // Sonoma
- J Vineyards // $18.99 // Sonoma
- Imagery // $17.99 // Sonoma
*Catheryn’s Pick
$20-$30
- Fess Parker // $22.99 // Santa Barbara
- Rex Hill // $24.99 // Oregon’s Willamette Valley
- *Au Bon Climat // $29.99 // Santa Barbara
- Coelho // $24.99 // Oregon’s Willamette Valley
- MacMurrary // $22.99 // Sonoma
*Catheryn’s Pick
Under $50
- *Domaine Drouhin // $33.99 // Oregon’s Willamette Valley
- Gary Farrell // $36.99 // Sonoma
- Twomey //$49.99 // Sonoma
*Catheryn’s Pick
I hope this post helps you to narrow down your wine choices for Thanksgiving. If you do end up buying one of these bottles, let me know what you think! I’d love to hear your honest feedback on my wine recommendations. Cheers!
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