I have been writing about wine for 40+ years and, especially during my tenure as a wine retailer, have written many articles about pairing wines for holiday dining. This is a season when occasional wine drinkers make more frequent selections and regular wine consumers seek advice about special bottles for special dinners. While the holiday season encompasses Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, the day before Thanksgiving was always the busiest – measured by the sheer number of customers who purchased wine. That’s understandable, because the Thanksgiving feast is the primary event, and business is compressed into a short time period. Other holiday dinners are spread out over a longer time span since dining traditions vary from person to person. It’s been about 15 years since I last addressed the topic, and much has changed in the wine world over that period. For this article, I will direct my recommendations toward a Thanksgiving spread, with the traditional turkey surrounded by a wide range of accompaniments.
Harvest festivals are common throughout the world and Thanksgiving is the American rendition of this universal celebration. A Thanksgiving feast is usually replete with bold and enticing aromas and flavors and equally bold and aromatic wines are splendid choices to accompany such a grand menu.
Frequently, even for Thanksgiving, wine decisions are left to the last minute when someone is dispatched in haste to find something to pour for the feast. The results of this pressured purchase can be disappointing. Those who plan their wine choice ahead of time, along with the menu, will have more time to consider their selection. Where there is good food, there should be good wine. You can make your holiday feast even better if you add a good wine to your carefully crafted and prepared menu.
Fortunately for wine lovers, there are many wines made throughout the world that are splendid accompaniments to a traditional Thanksgiving feast. Red, white, and even rosé wines can be delicious when paired with the rich flavors of a Thanksgiving spread, so it’s a good opportunity to indulge in your favorite hue for this festive occasion.
One exceptional Thanksgiving white wine is a well-made Gewurztraminer. Gewurztraminer is an intensely aromatic wine with a full flavor and lush character. It’s perfect with an herb and spice laden turkey and stuffing combination. The region of Alsace in northeastern France is the source of the world’s most profound Gewurztraminer bottlings. There are also excellent examples to be discovered from California’s cooler regions – Arroyo Seco in Monterey County, the Anderson Valley and Russian River Valley. Today, consumers can find excellent Gewurztraminers from Michigan, the Finger Lakes of New York and the Columbia River Valley in Washington State as well.
An alternative for a flavorful and aromatic white wine is the Roussanne grape. Most noted in the Rhône Valley of France, where it comprises many white Côtes du Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape blends, it can also be found in the alpine appellation of Chignin-Bergeron. Roussanne is successfully grown now in many areas of California, Oregon and Washington as well. It yields a full-flavored wine with a rich texture that can pair well with a holiday feast.
The French white from the village of Vouvray is a traditional Thanksgiving dinner companion. Chenin Blanc is the grape of Vouvray and gives the wine a tantalizing aroma with a lovely combination of floral and fruit scents and its vibrant acidity is balanced by a touch of sweetness. Chenin Blanc from California’s Clarksburg region can also be a spectacularly good companion for the holiday feast.
Perhaps the best buys among fine Chenin Blancs now come from South Africa, where producers have re-discovered old-vine Chenin vineyards and crafted rich and characterful dry but textured white wines. These South African treats from Paarl, Stellenbosch, Swartland and beyond capture the juicy fruit of the grape and marry beautifully with the rich flavors of Thanksgiving foods.
Riesling is another traditional white wine favorite. The great German winegrowing regions of the Rheingau, Mosel, Pfalz, and Rheinhessen provide us with a bounty of wonderful selections. Rieslings from Oregon, Washington, New York, and Michigan, among others, often provide vivid fruit aromas along with slightly sweet flavors. Keep in mind that sweetness is not an undesirable characteristic for Thanksgiving wines. The traditional menu is laden with rich, sweet, and spicy flavors that are much better served by a slightly sweet wine than a bone dry one. Good Riesling combines a touch of sweetness with a bracing tart character in a way that no other grape can quite match.
A Thanksgiving spread is an excellent foil for the robust flavors of a good Chardonnay. Additionally, Thanksgiving is a good opportunity to splurge on a Chardonnay just a bit better than your everyday selection. Generally, more expensive Chardonnays are richer and fuller-bodied than their more affordable competitors, due to a more exacting selection and more time spent in barrel which imparts a creamy, vanilla-like character to the wine.
Most of our familiar Chardonnays come from California or Burgundy in France. In recent years, however, superb bottlings from all over the world have become more available. Pick your favorite region from New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, South Africa and beyond. The Chardonnay grape can produce fine wines from all over.
One dramatic trend over the past decade has been the profusion of rosé wines that are available from many of the world’s winegrowing regions. For the holiday feast, look for fuller bodied versions. From France, a Tavel from the Rhône or Bandol rosé from Provence are good choices. There are also many flavorful rosés made from Pinot Noir in Oregon and California. Grenache or Syrah-based rosé wines from Paso Robles and Santa Barbara County will also enhance your meal.
One of the best domestic red wines for Thanksgiving is a good Zinfandel from California. Red Zinfandel is available in a wide variety of styles, from light and lively to deep, intense, and concentrated. You can pick the style you like the best for Thanksgiving, since the spicy, berry-ish style of the Zinfandel grape seems to harmonize with holiday menus both on the lighter and fuller-flavored ends of the spectrum. You can add an Italian twist to your wine selection with Zinfandel’s close relative, Primitivo from Puglia. It’s a wine that will add richness and spice to your table.
Another favorite is Pinot Noir. The vineyards of Burgundy in France provide the world’s most sought-after (and expensive) Pinot Noirs. The wines of Beaune, Vosne-Romanée, and Gevrey-Chambertin are particularly good choices for Thanksgiving. Many outstanding domestic Pinot Noirs come from the Russian River, Sonoma Coast, Carneros and Santa Barbara regions of California. The Willamette Valley of Oregon is synonymous with Pinot Noir and wines from the Chehalem Mountains, Yamhill-Carlton District and the Dundee Hills, among others are excellent choices. Pinot Noir can be found in many different styles ranging from bright, juicy, berry fruit-driven wines to big, lush, and vanillin-oak laden styles. Consider the intensity of flavors to be found on the table to determine the style to match your menu.
Other reds to consider are those of the Syrah grape, also known as Shiraz in Australia and South Africa. The Rhône Valley of France is a great source for classic Syrah wines. Try a Côte Rôtie, Hermitage or Cornas to experience the power and complexity of Rhône Syrah. These tend to be big, richly flavored reds that will stand up to a heartier-styled menu. Australian Shiraz is one of the best complements of all for a Thanksgiving feast. Good Shiraz from the Barossa Valley, Eden Valley or McLaren Vale has a deep color along with profound, ripe, spicy aromas and rich, velvety-smooth flavors. They are lovely choices for a rich and spicy feast.
The southern Rhône Valley offers up Grenache-based blends that often contain Syrah as well. This includes the great wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas as well as a whole host of wines labeled Côtes du Rhône. When good, these are rich, warming, and spicy reds. Grenache is also grown with great success in Australia, Paso Robles in California and the Columbia Valley of Washington.
Those who seek Thanksgiving accompaniments of a lighter style might consider sampling a good Gamay, most famous as the grape of Beaujolais but now grown frequently in Oregon. Many consumers eagerly await the release of the Beaujolais Nouveau, which hits the market in the days just prior to Thanksgiving, as a traditional complement for their family feast. It’s a chance to taste the juice of this year’s harvest. Richer Beaujolais wines from Morgon, Fleurie or Moulin-à-Vent will be fine companions for a holiday spread as well.
That just scratches the surface of vinous possibilities for your holiday table. There is much more to consider than just these. Wines are made in all 50 states, so you can search out a local gem to accompany your autumnal feast and discover a new treasure. Or you can stick to the classics and enjoy time-honored favorites. Either way, treat yourself and your guests to a well-planned menu of food and wine. I’m not sure what I will pick this year, since I have not finalized the menu, but I’m certain it will be one or more of the wines enumerated above. I have always found that good wine makes the meal and occasion even more memorable.