“What wine should I drink with my Thanksgiving dinner?” is the question asked by hundreds, if not thousands, of people around the country in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.  My response, “You SHOULD always drink the wine or beverage that you like.”  It’s a holiday after all.  And it’s a holiday about being thankful, so why torture yourself by forcing yourself to drink something that’s “supposed” to go with your meal.  If drinking Frozen Margaritas or Long Island Iced Teas is your thing, stop here and get the ingredients you need to make them.  I think that’s what you SHOULD drink.

Personally, I love wine and couldn’t imagine a better beverage for me to enjoy with my Thanksgiving dinner.  So what kind of wine do I recommend?  Again, if you only like full-bodied, tannic Cabernet Sauvignon, that’s what I recommend for you.  And, if your palate allows you to enjoy and appreciate a wider variety of wines, here are a few to consider:

SPARKLING – what’s more celebratory than a glass of bubbles?  I especially love true French Champagne.  Since my wine budget doesn’t allow me to drink it very often, finding an excuse like Thanksgiving works for me.  A medium-bodied Champagne (Blanc de Blanc or Rosé) will have enough weight to hold up to the meal, provide great acidity to cut through the fat on the plate (think gravy, mashed potatoes, cream, etc.), and the bubbles will cleanse your palate preparing you for another bite or sip.

WHITE BURGUNDY (aka really good Chardonnay) —  for my palate, not all Chardonnay will work for the meal.  Old-world Chardonnays, like those from Burgundy, France, offer the acidity needed along with a kiss of sweet fruit inherent to the Chardonnay grape itself.  These wines tend to be somewhat medium to full-bodied and can stand up to the foods on your plate.

DRY ROSE – think of it like cranberry sauce in your glass instead of on your plate.  Dry rosé will provide acidity and fruit.  It won’t compete with your food, but add a new element to the meal.  If you pay a little bit more money for a good bottle (say $20 – $30), you’ll likely end up with something that has a bit of weight to it as well.  The weight will help keep the wine from being over-powered by the food on your plate.

PINOT NOIR – this is another favorite of mine for Thanksgiving.  I only suggest that you look for Pinot Noir that is under 14% abv.  Why?  Because it will help ensure that the wine you are selecting is balanced and, in this case, won’t overpower your food.  Slight earth tones and lots of fruit are trademark characteristics for the varietal.  I particularly like Pinot Noir from Burgundy, France, and those from Williamette Valley, Oregon.

Do you get the common theme in these suggestions?  If your answer is about matching weight of food with weight of wine and also having good acidity to cut through the dinner on your plate, you’ve figured it out.  It could be any wine as long as you’ve got these two things going for you. 

When I left my career in the wine business to move onto and live full time in our motorhome, I brought about ten or twelve cases of wine with me.  We’ve been enjoying wines from that collection over these past few months and will be enjoying a couple of these with our Thanksgiving dinner.   Stay tuned for more details, but I’ve got my eye on a bottle of Champagne and a bottle of Santenay (aka Burgundy).  In any case, may your glass always be full!  Happy Thanksgiving!!!