Food is the spotlight of Thanksgiving celebrations, but the alcohol you serve is just as important! Choosing the perfect wine for Thanksgiving dinner that will please your guests and pair well with the food can seem overwhelming.  We’ve got a few simple guidelines and recommendations to ensure that you're serving wines your proud of and that your guests will love.

First, think about what’s on the Thanksgiving table. Thanksgiving meals are savory and loaded with a variety of earthy flavors like herbs, mushrooms, rich fruits and buttery sauces and gravies. The meat isn’t too heavy and sweet flavors are abundant (hello, cranberry sauce!) so keeping palates quenched is key. 

Look for wines with bright acidity and easy-drinking fruit forwardness. If you're serving red wine, this may look like beaujolais, pinot noirs, zinfandels or syrahs. For white wine, stick with chenin blanc, pinot gris, chardonnay, or other high-acid varieties.  And you can never go wrong with palate-stimulating bubbles!

Not sure where to begin? Take a look at these bottles for the best wines for Thanksgiving.

THE Thanksgiving Wines of 2021

If you're looking for a red and a white to serve that will please a crowd, look no further! Ian Blackburn, Merchant of Wine buyer, said these are THE wines of Thanksgiving and what he will be serving in his own home this year!

MAXIME MAGNON, CAMPAGNÈS CORBRIÈRES (CARIGNAN), LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON, FRANCE, 2019

 

HUGEL, CLASSIC PINOT GRIS, ALSACE, FRANCE, 2016

At $12.95 per bottle and with a score of 92 Points from the Tasting Panel, this wine is a great value and is priced perfectly for entertaining a crowd. The aroma is a bit restrained and serious but with the fresh, clear, precise and well stated fruitiness of lime, fresh kiwi, lemongrass, gooseberry, fresh moss and a lightly mineral flinty nuance. On the palate this is a dry, refreshing and lively wine with a pleasant sense of tension and vivacity which enlivens the palate and pairs well with Thanksgiving dishes. Its rounded and full flavour amply quench thirst which is exactly what you want in a Thanksgiving wine.

Best Wines for Thanksgiving Dinner

 

Looking for more great options for Thanksgiving wines? Ian recommends the below wines as more delicious options to serve at your table.

 

Sparkling

1.  LAURENT-PERRIER, CUVÉE ROSÉ, CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE, NV

2.  SCHRAMSBERG, J. SCHRAM, NORTH COAST, CALIFORNIA, 2011

 

White

1. INAMA, VIN SOAVE CLASSICO, VENETO, ITALY, 2019

2. JEAN-PHILIPPE FICHET BOURGOGNE BLANC, BURGUNDY, FRANCE, 2015

3. DOMAINE MICHEL PRUNIER ET FILLE, MEURSAULT LES CLOUS, COTE DE BEAUNE, FRANCE, 2015

4. MAIL ROAD, MOUNT CARMEL VINEYARD CHARDONNAY, SANTA RITA HILLS, CALIFORNIA, 2016

5.  HYDE DE VILLAINE HDV, CHARDONNAY, HYDE VINEYARD, CARNEROS, CALIFORNIA, 2018

6.  HUDSON VINEYARDS, CHARDONNAY, NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, 2019

 

Red

1.  ALEX FOILLARD, BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES, BEAUJOLAIS, FRANCE, 2019/2020

2. LOUIS JADOT, CHATEAU DES JACQUES, MOULIN-A-VENT, BEAUJOLAIS, FRANCE, 2017/2018

3. SANDHI SANFORD & BENEDICT, PINOT NOIR, SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA, 2017

4.  KEN WRIGHT, PINOT NOIR, SHEA VINEYARD, WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON, 2017

5. DOMAINE DANIEL RION & FILS, BOURGOGNE PINOT NOIR, BURGUNDY, FRANCE, 2018

6. DOMAINE FRANÇOIS LUMPP GIVRY 1ER CRU ROUGE “CRAUSOT", BURGUNDY, FRANCE, 2016

7.  TURLEY "OLD VINES" ZINFANDEL, CALIFORNIA, 2019

8. KIMSEY, SYRAH, BALLARD CANYON, SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA, 2016

9. NICORA, BUXOM, PASO ROBLES, CALIFORNIA, 2018

 

Dessert

1. CHÂTEAU ROUMIEU, SAUTERNES, FRANCE, 2016/2017 

2. ROYAL TOKAJI RED LABEL, 5 PUTTONYOS, TOKAJ 2016

 

If you're looking for an online wine store to buy your Thanksgiving wine from, Merchant of Wine online wine store has 500+ wines from around the world at incredible prices.  Check It Out HERE!