Thanksgiving preparation is hard. And when my mom asked me what I was bringing to Thanksgiving dinner, I replied, “several bottles of wine that I’m not sharing with anyone else.” (She wasn’t thrilled.) So I did a little research to find the best and easiest Thanksgiving food wine pairings. Now she HAS to accept my contribution of “multiple bottles of wine” as a traditional Turkey Day side dish.
Turkey
Pinot noir is the best match for turkey this holiday season. Why pinot? It’s lighter in body and softer on the palate than a cabernet or merlot. Pinot’s balanced acidity and generous fruit intensity makes it go especially well with Thanksgiving’s most popular dish.
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are buttery, and the first wine I think of when I hear buttery is chardonnay. An oaked chardonnay has a deliciously round mouthfeel and slight creaminess, great with buttery mashed potatoes. Not a huge fan of chardonnay? Try it un-oaked. The bright, citrusy notes bring out the wine’s fruitiness, but still satisfy the buttery component of the potatoes.
Cranberry Sauce
This is definitely one of the harder dishes to pair. But it can be done! Rosé is a VERY popular wine this year, and surprisingly it can be the perfect wine to compliment a cranberry sauce. The fresh taste of a dry rosé is great with a tart and tangy cranberry dish.
Sweet Potatoes
An unlikely pairing, but sweet potato dishes pair very well with sparkling wines, like Champagne or Prosecco. We usually consider sparkling wines pretty delicate, but Champagne and Prosecco’s complex flavors definitely have what it takes to stand up to a sweet potato dish.
Are sweet potatoes and marshmallows your thing? A cabernet sauvignon, high in tannins, will tone down and even out the sweetness of the dish.
Stuffing
Whether it’s breadcrumb stuffing or cornbread stuffing, Syrah is a great choice to satisfy all flavors. Syrah’s jammy fruit notes and touch of spice complements all the flavors your stuffing offers.
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