Poultry
Wine with Turkey & Thanksgiving
The most-asked wine question of the year, finally answered.
Short answer
Thanksgiving's busy plate needs a versatile wine that handles turkey, stuffing, sweet potato, and cranberry at once. Pinot Noir is the universal answer — bright fruit, low tannin, food-friendly. For whites, Riesling or unoaked Chardonnay work. For sparkling, traditional-method American sparkling cuts the richness beautifully.
Top wine picks
1
Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
America's best red for Thanksgiving — bright, lifted, food-friendly.
2
Burgundy Pinot Noir
More earth and structure if you want the European take.
3
Off-dry Finger Lakes Riesling
Sweetness handles cranberry sauce like nothing else.
4
Unoaked Chardonnay or Chablis
Crisp and structured for the white-meat-loving guests.
5
American sparkling (Schramsberg, Iron Horse)
Bubbles cut through every rich Thanksgiving side.
What to avoid
- Big oaky Cabernet (overwhelms the bird)
- Sweet rosé