You might have noticed I didn’t send out a newsletter on Sunday... because I was working on this Thanksgiving Wine Guide to come out one week before the big day!

Thanksgiving is basically the Super Bowl of food holidays. We spend weeks planning the turkey, stuffing, pies, and inevitable potato-showdown… but the wine is often an afterthought. Even though the right bottles can completely elevate the whole feast.

So if you know exactly what you’re cooking but have no idea what you’re drinking, this guide is here to do the heavy lifting for you.

You can take this into any wine shop, hand it to a staff member, and they’ll be able to point you to the perfect bottles. Instead of giving you five specific wines, I’m giving you five wine styles (with a few examples in each) that will complete any Thanksgiving table and play beautifully with the entire feast.

I’ve also hyperlinked some favorite bottles within each category, all available through local wine shops and wineries! So without further ado, here are

THE FIVE WINES YOU NEED ON YOUR THANKSGIVING TABLE

1. Bubbles (a.k.a. the Thanksgiving MVP)

You know I was going to start here, and it’s not just because I love bubbles. Sparkling wine is genuinely one of the best pairings for Thanksgiving. The meal is famously rich: butter, cream, carbs on carbs on carbs. Bubbles cut right through all of that and brighten the entire plate.

For Thanksgiving, I recommend sticking with more neutral, non-aromatic grapes… think Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier (so basically: Champagne grapes), Aligote or even Chenin Blanc. These give you freshness and lift without clashing with the flavors on your table. This is why Prosecco and Cava (made from more floral, aromatic grapes) can sometimes feel too perfumed with Thanksgiving food.

If your budget allows, look for proper Champagne, especially bottles that have spent extended time aging on the lees. That extra yeasty, bready richness is chef’s kiss with stuffing and your homemade Parker House rolls.

But if you’re buying for a crowd — like I often am — popping six bottles of Champagne is… not always realistic. In that case, I reccomend Crémant, which is sparkling wine made exactly like Champagne but from other regions in France. Look to Crémants from Burgundy, the Jura, and the Loire. These tend to be the closest in style to Champagne while still being friendly on the wallet.

If you want to branch out further, Franciacorta (Italy’s answer to Champagne) and Oregon traditional-method sparkling are also fantastic options. Just know that these are often priced similarly to Champagne, so won’t necessarily save you much.

Three bottles I love: 

• Pascal Doquet ‘Horizon’ Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne $63 
• Domaine Ligier, Crémant du Jura NV $28
• Corollary 2021 Cuvée One $50 

2. Red Bubbles 

But wait — there’s more bubbles. And they deserve their own category because they truly fill a different niche. When I say red bubbles, I’m mostly talking about Lambrusco. I don’t reach for Lambrusco every day… but on Thanksgiving, I absolutely do.

And I’m not talking about the sweet, syrupy Lambrusco you may have tried in college. I’m talking about legit, bone-dry, deep-colored, sparkling red wine from Emilia-Romagna, made from indigenous grapes, that just so happens to be one of the most perfect Thanksgiving pairings on earth. In fact, if I could only choose one wine to drink with Thanksgiving dinner... it would probable be a dry Lambrusco.

Because the grapes used in Lambrusco are low-tannin, the wine never fights with turkey or ham. It’s bright, juicy, and herbal, which means it plays beautifully with the thyme/sage/rosemary situation happening in your stuffing and gravy. The slight chill and gentle sparkle cut through all the starch and butter like a dream. And that vibrant red fruit is basically the wine version of cranberry sauce... but better.

Dry Lambrusco styles to look for include Lambrusco di Sorbara, Lambrusco Grasparossa, and Lambrusco Salamino. They’re almost always under $25, which makes them one of the best-value Thanksgiving wines on the planet.

And if you can’t find a dry Lambrusco, a sparkling rosé can play a similar role; just look for one that’s darker in color so it drinks more like a light red.

Three bottles I love:

• Villa di Corlo Lambrusco Grasparossa $23
• Cantina Paltrinieri “Solco” Lambrusco $18
• Scribe Sparkling Mission $54
• Champagne Lelarge-Pugeot Saignee de Meunier $88 (a dark, red-toned Champagne that drinks like the bougiest Lambrusco)

3. Textural Whites

If bubbles are the life of the party, textural whites are the steady best friend who quietly ties the whole Thanksgiving plate together. When I say “textural,” I mean whites with enough body and weight to stand up to all the richness on the table... not the feather-light, super-zippy styles that can taste a little shrill next to buttery mashed potatoes, rich gravy, and stuffing.

My number-one pick here is Chardonnay. And ideally, in a more Old World style (aka white Burgundy): higher acid, less new oak, leaner and more mineral. These neutral wines seem to match literally everything on the table. And if you prefer the richer, more buttery styles, Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to pull them out. There’s more than enough butter and cream on the table to indulge the pairing!

Another fantastic option is Aligoté, which is like Chardonnay’s shy but savvy little sister. It has the freshness and complexity, with enough texture and light creaminess to play well with all the herbs, butter, and golden-brown bits on your plate. And it’s usually at a fairly approachable price point.

And then… Chenin Blanc. Chenin is one of my absolute favorite Thanksgiving whites because its beeswax, golden apple, and lanolin notes feel highly autumnal. It picks up the sage in your stuffing, the sweetness in your roasted squash, and the apple cider vinaigrette in your harvest salad.

Other great whites that shine on Thanksgiving include Savagnin from the Jura (nutty, savory and perfect for umami-heavy dishes) and Marsanne/Roussanne from the Northern Rhône (round, silky and beautifully weighted). Basically, what you’re looking for is a white wine with enough texture to stand up to the rich dishes, without perfumed aromatics that clash.

Three bottles I love:

• Domaine Sangouard-Guyot Macon Saint-Veran $22 (Burgundy Chardonnay)
• Chateau le Plaisance Anjou Blanc $35 (Loire Valley Chenin Blanc)
• Didier Grappe Savagnin ‘Ouillé’ $47 (Jura Savagnin)  

4. Juicy Reds

Listen, I’m not here to tell you how to live your life… but I am here to gently say that big, tannic reds are not the Thanksgiving heroes people think they are. The heaviest thing on the table is turkey — a white meat — and a super-structured, high-tannin red will bulldoze right over it, not to mention everything else. Tannins paired with white meat and creamy sides almost always tastes metallic, flat, or astringent.

Gamay Noir is the ultimate Thanksgiving red... hailing from Beaujolais, but you can now find fabulous renditions from Oregon, California, and beyond. It has bright red fruit, crunchy acidity, gentle tannins, and just enough herbal notes to make the savory herbs in the meal shine. Pinot Noir is equally dependable: elegant, high-acid, earthy, and versatile. Look to Oregon, Burgundy, or even Sonoma Coast if you want something a little more lush and full.

If you want to get experimental and try something new, Trousseau or Poulsard from the Jura are ultra-light-bodied, savory (even more delicate than Pinot Noir!) and perfect with roasted vegetables. And Mencía is perfect if you want something slightly fuller without diving into Cabernet tannin territory. It has juicy purple fruit, wild herbs, and a touch of pepper, and you can find great renditions from Spain and beyond.

And if you really, truly can’t resist something with tannin — or you’re serving beef tenderloin or lamb alongside turkey — Nebbiolo is the one structured red that still plays nicely with the rest of the table. Light in body but firm in structure, it balances richness without overwhelming everything.

Four bottles I love:

• Domaine Séléné Beaujolais Villages $28
• Famille Dutraive ‘Lantignie’ Beaujolais $32
• Hundred Suns Pinot Meunier $35 (Willamette Valley)
• Sacred Shore Mencía $40 (Columbia Gorge)

5. Fortified Wines

Everyone knows the Thanksgiving dessert table is just as important as the dinner but, for some reason, most people don’t give it its own wine! It’s time to change that. Just like your turkey and stuffing get wines that complement them, your pies and crumbles deserve bottles that meet their sweetness, spice, and golden-brown goodness too.

Madeira is one of my absolute favorites here. Its roasted-nut, toffee and warm-spice profile is basically pecan pie in liquid form. Tawny Port is another knockout... amber-hued, caramel-ey and decadent without being cloying. Both of these wines feel like they were engineered exactly for Thanksgiving flavors.

Then there’s Vin Santo from Tuscany: rich and honeyed with notes of orange peel, dried apricot and clove.. It’s the perfect match for pumpkin pie. Or if you prefer something on the drier side and feel like treating yourself, Vin Jaune is always worth the investment. A rare, oxidative, savory, almost salty wine (think roasted walnuts and miso) Vin Jaune is incredible with a cheese board, savory sides, or more pumpkin pie.

No matter which you pick, a fortified wine at the end of the meal makes the whole spread feel complete... the final flourish that ties a bow on the Thanksgiving table.

Three bottles I love:

• Rare Wine Co. Madeira Sercial Special Reserve $56
• Ramos Pinot Tawny Port $21
• Fumey-Chatalain Arbois Vin Jaune $80 

I recommend you take this guide to your local wine shop and snag one bottle from each category. Or multiple, depending on how many people you’re feeding! And don’t forget magnums. I love a magnum on Thanksgiving. They’re festive, they make their presence known and, on a day when everyone is taking photos of the table, nothing looks better than a giant bottle of wine. (I just picked up magnums of Chenin Blanc, Beaujolais, and a delicate Côtes Catalanes Carignan as a curveball).

If you find any great bottles from this list (magnum or otherwise), be sure to take photos and tag me. I always love seeing what wines you’re drinking :)

I’m so very grateful for all of you, and I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving… full of great food, great wine, and your favorite people around the table.

Cheers and Happy Turkey Day,
Kelsey