www.firstleaf.com Open in urlscan Pro
2606:4700:10::6816:3f65  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

YOU NEED TO ENABLE JAVASCRIPT TO RUN THIS SITE.


FirstLeaf

FirstLeaf
Go straight to main content.
About
WinePrint™Wine SchoolGiftsWine Store
Log InTake the quiz



THE BEST WINES FOR THANKSGIVING

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Share
Email
Tweet
Pin

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


THANKSGIVING IS A SPECIAL TIME OF YEAR, AND IT DESERVES THE PERFECT WINE
PAIRINGS.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



IN THIS ARTICLE:

Best Wines for ThanksgivingThanksgiving Wine with FoodWine Pairing
BasicsThanksgiving Wine Pairings by Course Thanksgiving Desserts and Wine
Pairings


BEST WINES FOR THANKSGIVING

The holidays are a special time of year. We take a break from our busy lives to
gather with family and friends around a beautifully set table to break bread and
enjoy one another's company. So what better chance could there be to explore new
foods and wine pairings?

Sharing new experiences (and tastes) with the ones you care about the most is a
beautiful thing. It's celebratory, and it brings you together. But where to
start? 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


TAKE OUR QUIZ TODAY

Get award-winning delicious wines from all over the world shipped straight to
your door. Take the quiz to get the perfect pairings for your holiday season.

Take The Quiz Today

For Firstleaf club members, it's easy to find amazing wines to pair with a
holiday dinner; there are six bottles in every shipment that have been
specifically chosen to match their taste preferences. However, with the variety
of dishes on the holiday table, it can be a little confusing to figure out what
wine you should choose for a given course. 

Never fear. The wine lovers at Firstleaf are here to help you find the most
versatile wine for your menu, so you can get back to perfecting your menu,
picking the right place settings and glassware, and spending time enjoying the
company of those you love.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




THANKSGIVING WINE WITH FOOD

Pairing wine with food is a polarizing subject. It's either viewed as something
that only wine nerds care about or as something incredibly important to any
balanced meal. What's most important as you think about your options is how your
family approaches wine. For some family members, a perfect wine is simply cold,
maybe even with an ice cube or two to chill and dilute the flavors, and for
others, only a top-tier French wine will make them happy. 

When in doubt, serve what makes your guests happy! The most important rule of
wine pairing is to enjoy the wine you are drinking. If you want to ensure that
your guests are having a good time, ask them about their preferences. 

But if you want the wines to perfectly match the food you worked so hard to
make, learn the basics of how to pair wine with food in our in-depth pairing
guide. If you just want some of our favorite pairings for basic holiday dishes,
scroll on.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------






WINE PAIRING BASICS

No matter what you are pairing, the best results are about balance. To truly do
this, it takes a practiced hand and experience with a particular wine. It should
be noted that even the most steadfast pairing "rules" are generalizations. 

The best pairings understand the elements that food and wine have in common,
even if it is used to contrast the flavors or textures.



Acidity and Wine

Acidity plays with our perceptions of sweetness and sourness. It makes wine
taste rich and well-integrated.

Sweetness and Wine

Sweetness is almost the opposite of acidity. Sweetness in food makes wine taste
bitter, sour, and astringent — especially dry wine.

Rich Meats and Wine

Rich meats pair fantastically with young red wines. Tannins can bind with the
proteins in red meats, reducing your perception of the tannin and amplifying the
red fruit flavors. 

Salt and Wine

Salt's effects are large, so be careful when pairing with very salty foods. Salt
amplifies sweetness, so adding salt to a dessert dish can boost the flavor of
your dessert wine. It also makes wines taste less astringent and less bitter but
can easily overwhelm a wine.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------






THANKSGIVING WINE PAIRINGS BY COURSE


THANKSGIVING WINE PAIRINGS FOR APPETIZERS

At the beginning of a holiday meal, the goal for a pairing is to stoke the
appetite. We think that sommeliers have the right idea. They often start meals
with a glass or two of sparkling wine (especially a bone dry brut with an aroma
of stone fruit flavors)—the lively acidity and bubbly texture accent the flavors
of most food pairings. Charcuterie boards, sausage rolls, and freshly baked
bread will play off of texture, and the acidity will get your guest's mouths
watering.

Another popular choice during appetizers is a dry rosé wine, especially the
delicate flavors and bright acidity of the ever-popular Provençal rosé. 

Salads are a little more complicated and dependent on your dressing choice.
Something creamy (like Caesar, ranch, or blue cheese) will be able to stand up
to a full-bodied white wine, whereas a dark, fruity balsamic (especially
something like a raspberry vinaigrette) can work well with a light red wine,
served chilled. The fruit flavor and crisp acidity of these reds will work well
with the dark notes from the dressing.


MAINS: THE BEST WINE WITH TURKEY & BEST WINE WITH HAM

Figuring out what wine pairs the best with roasted turkey meat and what wine
pairs with ham causes many hosts excessive trouble. However, most guests' plates
will end up with a little bit of both, so here are a few general classic
pairings for Thanksgiving mains. 

Beaujolais and Beaujolais Nouveau are some of the best Thanksgiving wines you
can find. The fresh red berry flavors and subtle earthiness of the Gamay grape
will showcase the terroir of the region and accent the rich flavors of the
baking spices in your sweet potatoes, the herbal flavors, and spice on a turkey,
or the richness of a holiday ham. 

Chardonnay, and especially a buttery Chardonnay, is a delightful choice for
turkey meat and buttery mashed potatoes. We think going with a great wine from
Oregon, Sonoma, or Napa Valley will be the best bet for Thanksgiving dinner. 

Pinot Noir is another classic option that can work with white meat or dark meat
on the dinner table. In addition, the fruity flavors of new world Pinot Noirs
make it an excellent choice for pairing with the variety of foods at the
celebration.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




THANKSGIVING DESSERTS AND WINE PAIRINGS

Whether your family goes in for apple pie or something even sweeter such as
pumpkin pie or pecan pie, pairing the right glass of wine with dessert is
crucial. While certain dry white wines (think Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc,
Moscato) and sparkling wines will work with a wide variety of fresh fruit,
citrus flavors, and cheeses, sweeter desserts need a closer look. 

The classic rule for pairing desserts with wines is to choose a bottle of wine
that is sweeter than the dessert. This means that you are searching for a sweet
wine, not a wine that happens to be a little sweet. The best are Sauternes from
Bordeaux and late harvest Riesling from Germany. These wines can develop for
decades if not longer and are full of complex flavors and high acidity. Dessert
wines are a delicious and fun way to end a long Thanksgiving meal.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


SHOP OUR AWARD-WINNING WHITE WINES

Discover award-winning White Wines at incredibly affordable prices with
Firstleaf wine club. Shop now and explore the best White Wines for your holiday
table.

Shop White Wines





Home > Resources > best wines for thanksgiving

IN THIS ARTICLE

Best Wines for Thanksgiving

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanksgiving Wine with Food

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wine Pairing Basics

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanksgiving Wine Pairings by Course

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanksgiving Desserts and Wine Pairings

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


WINEPRINT™ BY FIRSTLEAF

Are you looking to learn more about your wine preferences? Check out our Wine
Print for an in-depth look at your personal tasting profile. Discover your
favorite wines, varietals, regions, and tasting notes and get personalized
recommendations wherever you are.

Learn More




NEED HELP?

1-800-461-7203service@firstleaf.com
Our Member Experience team is available 7 days a week from 6am-5pm PT
 * AppNew!
 * How It Works
 * Reviews
 * Our Team
 * Our Mission
 * Membership Plans
 * Help
 * Press
 * Wine School
 * Careers
 * Gifts
 * Shipping
 * Returns

Your satisfaction is guaranteed. If for any reason you're not satisfied with a
bottle you receive through the club, we'll give you Firstleaf credit for it
(minus shipping), where legal. All wine is sold by Firstleaf. Wineries in Napa,
across California and Washington. Partner wineries and vineyards around the
world.

© 2015 - 2023 Firstleaf
 * Terms and Conditions
 * Privacy Policy
 * Accessibility
 * Do Not Sell My Personal Information


By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your
device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our
marketing efforts.
Cookie Preferences Reject All Accept All Cookies



PRIVACY PREFERENCE CENTER

When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your
browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you,
your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you
expect it to. The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can
give you a more personalized web experience. Because we respect your right to
privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. Click on the
different category headings to find out more and change our default settings.
However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site
and the services we are able to offer.
More information
Allow All


MANAGE CONSENT PREFERENCES

FUNCTIONAL COOKIES

Functional Cookies

These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and
personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose
services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some
or all of these services may not function properly.

TARGETING COOKIES

Targeting Cookies

These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may
be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you
relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal
information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet
device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted
advertising.

PERFORMANCE COOKIES

Performance Cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and
improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the
most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All
information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you
do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and
will not be able to monitor its performance.

STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES

Always Active

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched
off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you
which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy
preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block
or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

Back Button


COOKIE LIST



Search Icon
Filter Icon

Clear
checkbox label label
Apply Cancel
Consent Leg.Interest
checkbox label label
checkbox label label
checkbox label label

Reject All Confirm My Choices