13 Wine Experts Choose Perfect Bottles For Your Thanksgiving Table

Wine, of course, wasn't part of the original Thanksgiving dinner back in 1620. (If the Pilgrims drank anything other than water, it would have been the remains of some beer they had brought over in barrels from England.) In many households around America today, it probably still isn't a significant part of the feast.

To us, though, dinner parties call for wine, whether they involve lasagna and green salad, a big pot of bouillabaisse, or, well, roast turkey with all the trimmings. What wine goes best with Thanksgiving dinner? That depends. One favorite of many wine-lovers is pinot noir. Others prefer something rich and white, or intensely Rhône-ish. Some like sparkling wine, and there's even a contingent that reaches for rosé.

We asked some of our regular wine writers, along with sommeliers and other wine-conscious restaurant folk, what their ideal wine for the Thanksgiving table would be.

Sacramento grocer and respected wine authority Darrell Corti, a member of The Daily Meal Council, replied to our request with a scenario suggesting why we turn to him so often for counsel on matters of food and drink: "For some four years now, since there are only four of us at Thanksgiving, we go to dim sum for lunch. But this isn't all. First we meet at my home and have a decently mature bottle of Bollinger RD and foie gras. Then proceed to lunch at a very good dim sum house here in Sacramento. There would be a couple of whites and a red there along with suitable dishes — not just dim sum, but noodles with lobster, roast squab — you get what I mean. Then back home for a nap if required, otherwise just talk. Then mid to late afternoon, mince tarts and other desserts, then a suitably matured vintage port with a couple of savouries and by 6 p.m., my friends are back on their way home, leaving me to read a bit (or pretend to) and so to bed!"

This stunning white from the southern mouth of the Loire comprises biodynamically grown chenin blanc (80 percent), chardonnay (15 percent), and groslot (5 percent), and is for me is the perfect match for a juicy, salt-brined Thanksgiving turkey and its accoutrements. Burnished gold in the glass, already adding a beautiful aesthetic to the table before you've even taken a sip, it opens with oxidative aromatics of white flower blossom and poached pear/apple sauce with the added fragrance of clove; it's almost like a side dish unto itself! Whiffs of iodine (the vines grow next to the salt marshes), a very attractive unctuous mouth feel of baked quince, and a finish with stony minerality, the Les Clous will complement your Thanksgiving dinner to the last bite.

— David Sawyer, former sommelier/manager, Husk, Charleston 

Thanksgiving is a ridiculously hard meal to pair with one single wine, but Vouvray from the Loire is your best bet! Acidic yet soft, fruity, and earthy chenin blanc is the base of this wine, and that's going to take you far as you navigate through the salty, buttery, herbal, tart, and sweet notes that come part and parcel with the dishes of the day. This particular Vouvray is a touch sweet, which will complement, rather than clash with, stuff like sweet potatoes and cranberry relish. The pear and apple flavors will add another dimension to the salty mashed potatoes and roast turkey, and should you choose to fry your bird, a little bright acidity, fruit flavor, and sweetness will be a knockout, too. This wine's acidity means it can even handle acidic greens (green beans, asparagus), an amazing feat. The perfect combination of sugar, acid, and fruit flavor make Vouvray the perfect wine for the entire meal. Domaine Huet is the most renowned producer in Vouvray and with good reason. Every wine, every vintage is the picture of flawless farming that results in wines with perfect balance.

— Elizabeth Schneider, wine writer and sommelier

Elegant enough for white meat and having sufficient heft for the dark the Donabaum Riesling Smaragd 2007 will elevate the turkey pairing while maintaining the versatility to dance with the rest of the meal. 

— Dave Lund, wine director, III Forks, Austin

I have been drinking Château D'Aqueria for many years and it is consistently outstanding and a great value. It is also one of our favorite wines to have with Thanksgiving turkey! The 2015 is true to form and will grace our table this Thanksgiving. Made with grenache, syrah, cinsault, and clairette, the wine has a light red color with a faint golden hue and a lovely floral tinged perfume with berry and cherry nuances. Rounded, supple, and lush with loads of red fruit flavors, this is a rosé with depth and is very flavorful and delicious.

— John Tilson, The Underground Wineletter

Although Thanksgiving is often associated with Beaujolais nouveau (for no other reason than the legal release date in France coincides with this American holiday), the Beaujolais cru wines are in a whole other category. This year, I will be popping a bottle of Château Thivin's Côte de Brouilly. This wine has notes of red berries (some say raspberry, others bilberry), hints of violets, earthiness with a touch of spiciness, and silky tannins — just enough to provide the perfect match for the turkey without creating any conflicts with potentially spicy or challenging side dishes.

— Renée B. Allen, director, Wine Institute of New England

While Beaujolais has been an obvious choice for many years as a Thanksgiving wine (and there are many great examples on the market), Thanksgiving is a very American holiday and I like to pour a domestic wine for this occasion. If I were to choose one wine to go on the Thanksgiving table it would be a Central Coast pinot noir, particularly from Santa Barbara or the Santa Maria Valley. This one is light in body so it won't overwhelm the turkey. Along with fall spice aromas of clove, cinnamon, and allspice, its fruit flavors mirror that of the Thanksgiving table's tart cranberry relish. Most importantly, it's delicious and sure to please everyone at the table!

— Scott Geisler, general manager, 1921 by Norman Van Aken, Mount Dora, Florida