[WRO Readers: We’ll be publishing Thanksgiving wine recommendations from our WRO contributors in this space almost every day until the holiday–so stay tuned! Michael Franz]
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I’m thinking that more wine is consumed in the U.S. on 
Thanksgiving than any other day. And I wonder how satisfied people are with their wine choices. I’ll try to help with my input, in anticipation of this great American holiday.
First of all, when I’m hosting (or “guesting,” for that matter), I always start with some Champagne, to serve with the hors d’oeuvres. That puts everyone in a festive mood.
I like to serve both white and red wine, to keep everyone happy; also, with all the various courses we eat on Thanksgiving, some foods invariably go better with one wine or the other.
I’ll start by mentioning some red wines that I avoid on Thanksgiving. I never serve Beaujolais, especially Beaujolais Nouveau! Too grapey! Beaujolais is a casual wine, meant to sip at parties, or perhaps with appetizers–nor for important dinners such as Thanksgiving. Nor would I serve Zinfandel–red or white! Too fruity. I’ve heard the argument about serving American wine on an American holiday. I just don’t buy into that. I think we should serve the most suitable wine for the food and the occasion. Zinfandel at barbecues, fine. Not with roast turkey. I also don’t believe that Cabernet Sauvignon, whether it be from California, or Bordeaux from France (or anywhere else) is a good match with turkey and the trimmings. Cabernet Sauvignon is too tannic; I think it’s horrible with turkey, in fact.
First of all, white wine generally goes better with turkey than red. My choice would be a simple Bourgogne Blanc, from a good producer such as Faiveley or Leflaive (about $20 to $25). Expensive, higher-profile white Burgundies might not work as well, especially young ones; they might have too much oak in the aroma and flavor–something you won’t find in Bourgogne Blancs.
My red wine choice would be a simple red Burgundy, such as a Chorey-lès-Beaune, Savigny- lès-Beaune, or St.-Romaine. A full-bodied red Burgundy might overwhelm the turkey. A California Pinot Noir might also work, as long as it’s not too jammy or high in alcohol (Go to the WRO Archives for my column on “The State of California Pinot Noir” for my specific recommendations).
I like to end Thanksgiving dinner with a glass or two of Tawny Port, from a good Portuguese producer such as Taylor-Fladgate, Dow, or Smith-Woodhouse. Perfect with the walnuts! Happy Thanksgiving!
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