• About Me
  • PR
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Wine in Mom

Toasting Motherhood

  • Family
  • Disney
  • Food
  • Reviews/Gift Guides
  • Travel
  • Wine

Wine

Thanksgiving Wine Pairings

When I think about planning my Thanksgiving Menu one of my favorite aspects of the meal to plan is the wine. I love finding different wines and varietals to pair with the meal. One year I set up little placards in front of each bottle alerting guests to what wine went with which part of the meal, there was even one that paired perfectly with mashed potatoes. I find that suggesting that something goes well together is a great way to get guests to step outside their comfort zone and try something new. Thanksgiving Wine pairings should bring out the best in the food and extenuate your menu.

Thanksgiving Wine Pairings

Find the perfect wine that will please all your guests with these Thanksgiving Wine Pairings.

Starter Wines for Thanksgiving Appetizers

Sometimes you need a little something to get the crowd circulating or maybe you need a way to occupy guests while you finish up the meal preparations or maybe you’re like me and just need a little drink to calm your nerves before the guests arrive. Whatever your reason a sparkling wine is the perfect way to start any holiday.

Prosecco is a sparkling italian white wine that can range from dry to semi sweet. For me this is the perfect start to a holiday meal because it’s clean and light and won’t leave a lot of aftertaste or sugar on your palette. It also is a good lead into whatever wine you will choose to pair with your meal. There are a lot of great Prosecco’s, I tend to go with Cupcake Prosecco because it has a great price point and isn’t too dry.

Nothing says kicking off the holiday season like a sparkling red wine. Banfi’s Rosa Regale has long been a favorite of mine and if it’s on a menu I have a hard time not ordering it. It’s just sweet enough with hints of strawberry and raspberry, that even your moscato loving friends will enjoy this.


Wine To Drink with Thanksgiving Dinner

I’m always torn on what to have with Thanksgiving dinner. On the one hand a part of me always wants a good glass of red wine when the weather is cold, on the other hand white traditionally goes with Turkey and it does pair exceptionally well. I offer my guests both red and white wine and I let them decide. And there really is no rule that you can’t start with red and move to white or vice versa.

White Wines For Thanksgiving

Sauvignon Blanc is a great match with Turkey and a slightly different choice from your more traditional whites (I’m looking at you Pinot Grigio). It’s a dry white wine that won’t over power your meal. When chilled a Sauvignon Blanc is crisp and delicious. I’ve enjoyed 30 Degrees Sauvignon Blanc and Estancia’s Sauvignon Blanc.

Chardonnay

Chardonnay pairs well with just about every aspect of Thanksgiving dinner. A good buttery Chardonnay is the perfect soul mate of creamy mashed potatoes. It also pairs well with apples and squash, making this a great go-to white wine if you want to offer only one type of white wine. Charles Smith Eve Chardonnay is a perfect pick for Thanksgiving and I love the whimsical apple on the label.

 

Thanksgiving wine pairings

Red Wines For Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving dinner should be the main event, so I tend to steer clear of big bold reds that might overpower the meal.

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir pairs well with falls spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove (save a little for the pumpkin pie). It’s also a wine that I’ve never gone wrong with. Even my beer loving best friend has been known to call dibs on his favorite bottle of Pinot Noir. That’s because Pinot Noir is velvety, smooth and so easy to drink. Last holiday season we enjoyed Erath Pinot Noir, and it’s definitely been on my short list of favorites.

Zinfandel

No, I didn’t forget the word “white” I mean Zinfandel as in red wine, not the pink stuff your best friends mom drinks. A red Zinfandel can be jammy and smooth with hints of fruit. For me, Zinfandel is one of my favorite wines to serve when I want to offer red but don’t want something that screams, “I pair well with red meat”. Tussock Jumper Zinfandel is a wine I picked strictly cause I loved the label and the price, and ended up really loving the wine.

Wines to pair with your Thanksgiving meal from appetizers to entrees and desserts these wines are sure to please any crowd.

Dessert Wines to Pair with Your Pies

I’m going to let you in on a little secret, at most meals I would pick a second glass of wine over, having dessert but not on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is not complete without some pumpkin pie. If you have a wine loving crowd definitely pick up a good Port to serve as your dessert wine. But if you don’t then skip the dessert wine, and have a glass of whatever was your favorite. This is what I typically do. Usually by the end of the meal I just want to enjoy a glass of wine and some pie covered in whipped cream.

If you are worried that your crowd won’t like the wines you picked or that some won’t be wine drinkers. Ask them what they like and try to point them in the right direction. I have friends who only drink sweet wines (which I don’t tend to drink) and usually I can steer them towards a wine that they will like. Also ask them what their favorite part of the meal is and then lead them to a wine that pairs well with that. And when in doubt almost everyone will drink white wine, no matter what kind it is.

Remember that the star of the meal is the food and that the wine is just there to compliment it so don’t over think or stress about it. The most important thing is to have enough wine to go around and always an extra bottle or two in case you run out. Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving!

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr

Related


7 Comments

« Sorry, I’m Pregnant
Thanksgiving Leftover Bites »

Comments

  1. Sarah Honey says

    November 19, 2015 at 12:10 pm

    I use to just drink red now I just drink white. Need to broaden my world and do more pairing.

    Reply
  2. Mollie says

    November 19, 2015 at 12:42 pm

    Such great thought on the wine pairings. Bookmarking for my thanksgiving wine run this weekend!

    Reply
  3. Marci says

    November 20, 2015 at 11:34 pm

    I’m always too full for dessert wine. Need to change that!

    Reply
  4. jess says

    November 22, 2015 at 1:01 am

    Such a fantastic breakdown/review!
    I just had to share this, I love the rule of always having an extra bottle. Cheers!

    Reply
    • Julia Hunter says

      November 22, 2015 at 10:13 pm

      Thank you, cheers!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Easy Thanksgiving Menu - Wine in Mom says:
    November 13, 2016 at 7:35 pm

    […] Check back next week for my guide to wine for Thanksgiving.  […]

    Reply
  2. Thanksgiving Food Ideas--check out these yummy ideas for your next Thanksgiving meal! says:
    November 13, 2017 at 9:20 pm

    […] Thanksgiving Wine Pairings by Wine In Mom […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


Learn more about me →
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Recent Posts

  • NJ Lottery for the Holidays
  • Unique Gifts for Everyone on Your List
  • 5 Reasons to have a Get Air Birthday Party
  • 50+ Gifts for Kids who have Everything
  • 25 Ways to Use Thanksgiving Leftovers

Never miss a post!

Popular Posts

  • 7 Fun Marco Island Attractions by Julia Hunter | posted on March 24, 2015
  • DIY Disney Magic Band Decorations by Julia Hunter | posted on April 7, 2015
  • 10 Tips For Visiting Walt Disney World with Grandparents by Julia Hunter | posted on June 15, 2015

Never miss a post!

You Might Also Like

NJ Lottery Holiday Gifts

NJ Lottery for the Holidays

unique gifts for everyone on your list

Unique Gifts for Everyone on Your List

Get Air Birthday Party

5 Reasons to have a Get Air Birthday Party

Gifts for kids who have everything

50+ Gifts for Kids who have Everything

Thanksgiving Leftovers

25 Ways to Use Thanksgiving Leftovers

Dealspotr.com

Copyright © 2019 Wine in Mom · Design by Tech·mom·o·gy Designs™.

Copyright © 2019 · Divine Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in