Thanksgiving Wines

The centerpiece of contemporary Thanksgiving in the United States, and Canada is a large meal, generally centered around a large roasted turkey.

Many Americans would say its "incomplete" without cranberry sauce, stuffing or dressing, and gravy. Other commonly served dishes include winter squash, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes or rice (in the South and among Asians), dumplings, corn on the cob or hominy, deviled eggs, green beans or green bean casserole, sauerkraut (among those in the Mid-Atlantic, especially Baltimore), peas and carrots, bread rolls, cornbread (in the south and parts of New England), or biscuits, rutabagas or turnips, and a salad. For dessert, various pies are often served, particularly apple pie, mincemeat pie, sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie, chocolate meringue pie and pecan pie, with the last four being particularly American.

WHITE WINES TO PAIR WITH DINNER

RIESLING: An off dry wine it has just a little sweetness and it complements the flavors of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. It is the safest and most common wine paired with the Thanksgiving dinner and is a guaranteed hit with a typical meal. Although a Riesling is a German wine, those who want to stay tradition to the American holiday can pick a American bred version of the same particularly those of the Washington state. A good bottle could cost anywhere from $22-$30

PINOT NOIR: This is another great wine to pair with Thanksgiving dinner. This is a mainstream wine and will work well with the food. A recommendation would be the Pinot Noir’s of the central coast of California like Santa Barbara, Santa Maria etc for example Saintsbury’s Pinot Noir. Also Argyle from Oregon sure to be a hit on the special Thanksgiving evening dinner. These too will range from about $20.

ZINFANDEL: Another popular wine is the Zinfandel. It has a great flavor profile and is sure to go well with the Thanksgiving dinner. It is very hard to go wrong with a Zinfandel.

Sparkling wines are a great way to clear the palate between courses on Thanksgiving and can also be served in place of the above mentioned wines.