The 7 Best Wines to Pair With Your Thanksgiving Feast

Joseph De Venoge created Princes Cuvée in 1858 to honor the French Princes of Orange. It comes in a unique bottle that replicates the elegant crystal flasks that household servants of European aristocracy would use to decant Champagne before serving. It is crafted from 100 percent Chardonnay and has a continuous stream of fine bubbles that create a substantial mousse. It opens with aromas of freshly baked brioche, Gala apple, and citrus flowers. Lively and vivacious on the palate, it has flavors of baked apple, pastry dough, and lemon blossom stacked on a sturdy backbone of minerality.

Winemaker Ioanna Vamvakouri has been making wines on the idyllic island of Santorini for more than 20 years, and in 2018, she founded Mikra Thira—little Thira—with two other well-known wineries, Gerovassilliou and Tsaktsarlis. Together they produce three labels, including this delightful Santorini Assyrtiko, a native grape whose vines are trained into what look like large birds’ nests to protect them from the wind and sun. Mikra Thira 2021 Santorini Assyrtiko is straw colored in the glass with aromas of citrus blossom, white peach, volcanic rock, and salt air that transition to flavors of peach, lemon zest, and saline, with excellent minerality in the finish.

Winemaker Marie-Laure Ammons grew up in the city of Limousin, halfway between Bordeaux and Burgundy, and made wine in both regions. She later moved to California and worked with Philippe Melka for 18 years. Nid Tissé is her own project, and the name translates from French to mean “woven nest,” referring to her gathering winemaking experience on two continents and building a home and family in California. This single-vineyard Hyde Chardonnay is absolutely stunning with aromas of Granny Smith apple, crushed oyster shells, and white peach. Full-bodied. it has flavors of lemon curd, tropical fruits, wet river rock, and tangerine zest.

The highly respected Rhone Valley house of Chapoutier was founded in 1808, and it’s currently run by Michel Chapoutier, who took over from his predecessor at the young age of 26 years old. Considered to be one of the original disruptors in the wine world, Michel has a passion for creating innovative wines that are often at odds with some of the older traditions held by many French winemakers. This stunning wine is made from 100 percent Marsanne that is whole-grape pressed and then fermented in a combination of 600-liter barrels, 225-liter barrels, and stainless-steel vats. It rests on the lees for 11 months and has enticing aromas of English toffee, butterscotch, preserved lemons, and acacia flowers. It is full-bodied in the mouth with flavors of lemon curd, peach, and brown baking spices.

Every Thanksgiving, we read our competitors’ and colleagues’ wine columns, and for some reason, they all feel that the best wine to pair with Thanksgiving dinner is a Pinot Noir, whether it be from Oregon, Burgundy, or California. We do agree that Pinot Noir pairs well with roast turkey, but if your Thanksgiving table is anything like our family and friends’ tables, the turkey is an afterthought, and what really stands out are the side dishes. They range from lasagna and paella to baked ziti and molasses-glazed sweet potatoes to chicken tikka masala, most of which are too strong to stand up to a light-bodied Pinot Noir. That said, if you are going to have a Pinot Noir at your table, choose a full-bodied, bolder version from one of our favorite Sonoma producers. Arista’s 2022 continues a great track record of past vintages; it has aromas of Bing cherry, wet river rock, and red raspberry that transition to flavors of candied orange peel, cherry cola, brown baking spices, and ripe black cherry.

Michele Chiarlo began producing wine under his own name in 1956 in Piedmont, Italy. Today, his sons Stefano and Alberto cultivate 270 acres across the Langhe, Monferrato, and Gavi areas, and specialize in producing excellent wines from the finest cru sites. They are especially proud to manage 22 acres of vines in the Cerequio cru, one of the most prestigious in Barolo. Michele Chiarlo 2021 Cerequio Barolo has aromas of red and black fruits accented by lifted notes of eucalyptus and fresh mint. It is elegant in the mid palate with flavors of red raspberry, cassis, and red plum.

This red is aptly named after Marquis Carlo Guerrieri Gonzago, one of the first Italian winemakers to experiment with traditional Bordeaux blends. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the wine is crafted from grapes grown in the Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT. After undergoing malolactic fermentation, it is aged for 24 months in barrels and large oak casks and then rested for two years in the bottle before release. Tasted out of magnum bottles, this stunning blend has aromas of red raspberry, cassis, pine forest, and tobacco leaf with silky tannins and flavors of red and black fruits, tobacco leaf, and forest shrubs. This wine will go quickly with your family and friends. A magnum is probably a good size to start, but if you have a larger group, it’s available in double magnum, 6-liter, 9-liter, 12-liter, and 18-liter bottles.