With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, now is the time to start planning your Thanksgiving dinner menu and selecting wines to complement the feast.

The big question that a lot of people continue to ask myself and my staff each year is “Which wine or wines pair best with the variety of tastes, textures and aromas that uniquely present them on Thanksgiving Day? Should you choose one wine to carry you through appetizers to desserts? – a tough request, but certainly doable. Or should you choose several wines to accent different components of the meal and cater to a variety of guests’ palates? The choice is entirely up to you, but here are some options to get you started.

From appetizers, to white and dark turkey meat, mashed potatoes, yams, herb-filled stuffing, and cranberry relish, pickled this and peppered that, all the way to pumpkin or pecan pie – is there truly a single wine that can take you seamlessly from start to finish? One wine that can possibly conquer this feat is a sparkling wine – an increasingly popular pairing partner, and not just for the holidays.  Champagne and sparkling wines bring both elegance and phenomenal food-pairing versatility to virtually any meal, but with Thanksgiving these wines really shine from an assorted appetizer start to a pecan pie finish. The art of pairing wines with food is largely a matter of personal preference.  Some reds that are safe bets to pair with Thanksgiving are Pinot Noir, Syrah and Zinfandel.  White wine lovers might try un-oaked Chardonnay’s, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, or a Gewurztraminer.   With white wines the pairing priority is finding a wine with well-balanced acidity, with reds you are shooting for fairly tame tannins that will yield to and support the flavors of the food.

Red Wine Suggestions

Pinot Noir — Pinot Noir is a smooth silky red wine that is extremely fruity. It is characterized with aromas and flavors of black cherry or rose petals along with hints of spiciness or herbal qualities. Pinot Noirs are enjoyed for their soft velvety texture. High in alcohol, they are full bodied but not heavy. Pinot Noir is the traditional favorite wine to serve with Thanksgiving dinner. Pinot Noir complements a variety of dishes making it a top Thanksgiving wine selection.

Zinfandel — Zinfandels are a great choice for those who prefer a heartier red wine. Zinfandel can be light to full bodied. It can be rich and spicy or lighter and fruitier. Aromas and flavors that are typical include raspberry, jam, black pepper, and licorice.

Syrah/Shiraz — The Syrah grape can bring a spicy edge or a meaty character to the table often increasing the complexity, while graciously handling all the different flavors that accompany a traditional Thanksgiving meal. The prevalent peppery notes of Syrah will partner well with the herb-infused stuffing and both the white and dark turkey meat.

Beaujolais Nouveau — A light, fruity red wine, from the Gamay grape, that goes quite well with turkey and all of the fixings. This wine is released from France on the third Thursday of November, just in time to highlight your Thanksgiving feast!  

White wine suggestions

Sauvignon Blanc — Sauvignon Blanc usually has a grassy citrus aroma. Flavors range from apple, pear, green tea, limes and freshly mowed grass. You can often detect a little smokiness. This wine is a great match with turkey and herb-filled stuffing.

Gewürztraminer — Gewürztraminer is a zesty white wine that goes well with a variety of dishes. Gewurztraminer has a spicy aroma and fruity flavors of peach, apricot, tropical fruits, and lychee. It can be a dry or sweet white wine.

Rosé Wines — It’s true that dry rose wines go well with almost any dish, and with so many flavors on the table at Thanksgiving, rosé can be a great choice. If your taste runs to drier wines, a rose from the Cotes du Rhone or Provence regions in France will be light, crisp, and flavorful, but won’t overpower the meal. A dry rose from California–made from one of the Rhone grape varieties such as Grenache–will also nicely fill the bill.

Riesling — This versatile white wine can either be bone dry or fairly sweet, excellent with any dishes that are spicy, salty or sweet. Whether from Alsace, Germany or Washington – Riesling wines are a top pick white wine for pairing with Thanksgiving dinner. Riesling’s innate flavors of apple, apricot, honey and its clarifying acidity give it a significant pairing edge with the likes of sweet potatoes, turkey meat and spice-laden or herb-filled stuffing.

Pinot Grigio — Capable of handling garlic and onions, herbs and rich, flavorful, high-fat dishes, this white wine is a natural for the demands of Thanksgiving Day.

Dessert Recommendations

There are several outstanding options for both pumpkin and pecan pie pairings. Sherry, either Pedro Ximénez or a Cream Sherry, would contribute a delicious nutty, sweet spice-filled character to the pie pairing combination. Or count on a late harvest Riesling to bring rich, concentrated flavors of honey to a variety of desserts. A tawny Port could also stake quite a claim on a slice of pumpkin or pecan pie. All three options offer the sweetness and the viscosity to support the rich flavors and robust spice of the pumpkin pie as well as the caramelized flavors found in a pecan pie.

When it is all said and done, choosing a Thanksgiving Day wine is truly about what you prefer and what your guests will enjoy. There are no hard and fast turkey pairing rules, just plenty of pairing options to experiment with and see what works best for you.

Selections under $20

Poppy Pinot Noir 2008 — This wine is made by a great consistent producer from Monterey County California.  This wine exhibits wonderful light berry flavors with just a hint of oak.

Di Arie Sierra Foothills Zinfandel 2008 — Made by the man who invented Captain Crunch cereal, this is one of my favorite red Zinfandel’s for the price!  It is big, bold, and spicy but not over the top!

Peter Lehmann Shiraz 2008 — Barossa Valley, Australia is where this gem is made and is consistently great from vintage to vintage.  It was ranked as one of the top 10 wine values from Australia.  

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2010 — This is always a fun wine to taste around Thanksgiving.  It is light, fruity and best served chilled.  It is a great way to determine the quality of the current vintage in Boujalias.         

Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2009 — Made in the famous Marlborough region of New Zealand, this wine is light and zesty with lots of grapefruit and tropical fruit flavors.  It a great paired with cheese and fruit.

Attems Pinot Grigio 2008 — Made in Venezia, Italy, this full bodied white has rated over 90 the past two vintages. “Offers pineapple pie, vanilla cream and honey on the nose. Full-bodied, with a very ripe, almost decadent tropical fruit character and lots of rich fruit.” — Wine Spectator

— Matt Garofalo is the owner of The Oconee Cellar Wine & Spirits located next to Publix on Hwy 44.