What is the Best Wine for Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is a time to gather, feast and celebrate with our loved ones—but pairing wine with such a diverse spread can feel daunting. With a wide variety of flavors on the table from savory stuffing to tart cranberry sauce, it’s hard to know where to begin. Not to mention trying to curate a wine selection all of your guests will enjoy. But no need to stress—we’re here to help you take the guesswork out of choosing the best wine for Thanksgiving. From festive sparkling wines to food-friendly whites, crowd-pleasing reds and indulgent dessert wines, we’ll share tips to make your Thanksgiving pairings as joyful as the holiday itself.

Wondering What Wine Goes with Turkey? Follow These Wine Pairing Tips Instead

While turkey is undoubtedly the star of the show, that doesn’t mean the only good wines for Thanksgiving are those that traditionally pair well with this white meat. Turkey is lean, tender and can be mildly flavored, and there’s not a lot of fat content to balance out the mouth-coating tannins found in big, bold reds like cabernet sauvignon. Typically, medium-to-full bodied whites and light-to-medium bodied reds with high acidity and moderate tannins pair excellently with turkey. Yet that’s not to say that a cabernet sauvignon won’t make a delectable wine pairing for turkey. Just ask our culinary experts at Jordan Winery who dished up tips on how to level up Thanksgiving wine pairings specifically for cabernet lovers. 

Rather than focusing solely on the best wine for turkey, remember there’s an array of flavors on the Thanksgiving table. Rely on these wine pairing rules instead: 

• Match Weight & Intensity: Light dishes pair with light wines; heavier dishes need fuller wines.
• Complement or Contrast Flavors: Match similar flavors and textures, or balance opposites.
• Balance Tannins with Fat: Fats soften tannins.
• Match Sweetness Levels: Dessert wines should be as sweet or sweeter than the dish.
• Sparkling Wines Are Versatile: Great with salty, fried, creamy or savory foods due to acidity and texture.

Kick Off Thanksgiving Celebrations with Some Bubbly

Sparkling wines are the perfect way to kick off Thanksgiving, bringing festive bubbles and bright acidity that pairs beautifully with a variety of appetizers. From salty nuts to creamy cheeses and savory charcuterie, their versatility makes them an ideal match for a cheese and charcuterie board—setting a celebratory tone for the feast to come.

If you’re in need of inspiration to create a showstopping charcuterie board to impress your guests, check out these 10 tips.

The Best Sparkling Wines for Thanksgiving

Traditional method sparkling wines like Champagne are perfect for Thanksgiving, thanks to their elegant bubbles and complex flavors. These wines undergo a secondary fermentation in the same bottle they’re sold in, a process that creates their signature effervescence and complex aromas and flavors. In order to initiate the secondary fermentation, a liqueur de tirage—a mix of wine, yeast, sugar, and nutrients—is added to the base wine in the bottle. As the yeast consumes the sugar, carbon dioxide is released and trapped, forming fine bubbles. The extended aging on lees also adds rich, toasty notes that pair beautifully with Thanksgiving’s savory dishes and rich flavors.

Try the Jordan Cuvée by Champagne AR Lenoble, a special bottling of non-vintage brut Champagne that celebrates the shared values of Jordan in California and Champagne AR Lenoble in France. Brimming with juicy green apple, lemon peel and brioche aromas, followed by an opulent citrus, hazelnut laden palate, this sparkling wine is sure to be among the best wines for Thanksgiving.

Elegant White Wines for Thanksgiving Dinner

The ideal white wine for Thanksgiving features crisp fruit flavors, vibrant acidity and little to no oak influence. Crisp fruits, like apple or pear notes, complement classic holiday dishes, while bright acidity cuts through rich sides like stuffing or mashed potatoes. If oak is present, it should be subtle, adding texture without overpowering the meal’s flavors or the lively varietal character of the wine. 

Chardonnay 

When it comes to the best wine for Thanksgiving, it’s pretty hard to beat a classic like chardonnay. Skip the old-school “California Chardonnay” style which tends to be overly oaked and buttery, and opt for a fresh chablis or Burgundian style instead. While shopping for your chardonnay, consider the climate in which it’s grown. Cool-climate chardonnay offers zesty acidity with notes of green apple, pear, citrus and a touch of minerality. In contrast, warm-climate chardonnay is fuller-bodied and fruit-forward, showcasing ripe tropical fruit flavors and a richer, more luxurious texture.

Try the 2022 Jordan Chardonnay from western regions of Russian River Valley that’s loaded with mouthwatering acidity balanced by well-integrated French oak and concrete influence. Expect aromas of Fuji apples, Asian pear, lemon, persimmon and white flowers with an elegant finish. 

Chenin Blanc

Chenin blanc, with its high acidity and versatility, shines in styles ranging from dry to sparkling to sweet. It offers flavors of quince, pear, honey, stone fruits and mango, evolving into richer, honeyed and waxy notes with age—perfect for complementing Thanksgiving’s mix of savory and sweet dishes.  

For top quality, turn to the Loire Valley, France or South Africa. The Loire Valley produces sparkling chenin in Vouvray and Saumur, and dry styles in Anjou and Savennières. In South Africa, chenin is the most planted grape, often barrel-fermented for a fuller-bodied style. Look to the Swartland region for its renowned old-vine chenin blanc.

Grüner Veltliner

Grüner veltliner, Austria’s star grape, thrives in regions like Niederösterreich and northern Burgenland, where it produces high-quality wines when vineyard care is prioritized. To find the best bottles, look for DAC labels (Districtus Austriae Controllatus), which ensure region-specific quality standards. Key DACs for grüner include Weinviertel, Kamptal, Kremstal, Wachau and Wagram.

Top styles, like ‘Reserve’ from Kamptal and Kremstal or ‘Smaragd’ from Wachau, deliver full-bodied, vibrant wines with fresh citrus, stone fruit and white pepper notes, evolving into honeyed, toasty complexity with age.

The Best Red Wines for Thanksgiving 

When selecting red wines for Thanksgiving, look for wines that are fruit-forward and medium-bodied with moderate tannins. Bright red fruit flavors like cranberry or cherry complement turkey and both the savory and tangy sides. While softer, well-integrated tannins ensure the wine doesn’t overpower the meal. Bonus points for finding wines with a hint of spice or earthiness to add depth and match the aromatics of Thanksgiving dishes. 

Pinot Noir

Pinot noir, a thin-skinned, early-ripening grape, produces elegant, complex wines that showcase their terroir. It thrives in cool to moderate climates, but is notoriously tricky to grow.

Light to medium-bodied with soft tannins, high acidity and moderate alcohol, pinot noir offers flavors of cranberry, raspberry, and earthy notes in cooler regions. Whereas warmer climates yield riper cherry and strawberry flavor profiles. It ages beautifully, becoming more savory and complex, especially examples from Burgundy.

For the best expressions of this classic wine for Thanksgiving, turn to top regions like Burgundy (Nuits-Saint-Georges, Gevrey-Chambertin), Willamette Valley in Oregon, Marlborough in New Zealand, Yarra Valley in Australia, and California’s Russian River Valley.

Gamay

Gamay is a dynamic, light-bodied red grape known for producing fresh, fruit-forward wines with juicy acidity. Primarily grown in Beaujolais, France, it thrives in cooler climates and is famous for its ability to produce wines that are both approachable and expressive of their terroir.  

Gamay wines showcase flavors of red berries like cherry, raspberry and strawberry, often with floral and spicy notes, too. With low tannins and high acidity, these wines are refreshing and easy-drinking, and are sure to be a crowd pleaser around the Thanksgiving table. 

Beaujolais, especially the Crus like Morgon, Fleurie, and Julienas, delivers the best expressions of gamay, but it is also grown successfully in regions like Oregon and the Loire Valley.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet sauvignon is a bold, full-bodied red variety known for its deep color, structured tannins, and supple flavors. It thrives in warmer climates with ample sunlight, where it can reach full ripeness and develop its signature complexity.

Cabernet sauvignon wines are characterized by dark fruit flavors like blackcurrant, blackberry and plum, often accompanied by notes of tobacco and cedar from oak aging. These wines have excellent aging potential thanks to their firm tannins and balanced acidity. Aged cabernet sauvignon offers softer, more velvety tannins and flavors of dried fruits, leather and earthy spice.

With a library of vintages to choose from, the Jordan Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon consistently strikes a delicious balance between silky tannins and concentrated fruits with a lengthy finish. For those serving cabernet sauvignon on Thanksgiving, consider decanting the wine in advance by following these tips and tricks for serving wine at its best. 

Dessert Wines for Thanksgiving Pie

When choosing dessert wines for Thanksgiving pie, look for wines with a touch of sweetness that matches or slightly exceeds the sweetness of the pie. Sherry, port and the new Jordan Sauternes are excellent choices, offering rich sweetness and depth that enhance dessert flavors.

Sauternes

Sauternes is a celebrated sweet wine from the Bordeaux region of France, made from grapes affected by botrytis cinerea, also known as “noble rot.” This natural process concentrates sugars and flavors in the grape, resulting in a wine that is deeply aromatic, honeyed and luscious, yet remarkably balanced by refreshing acidity. Classic sauternes is crafted primarily from sémillon and sauvignon blanc, sometimes with a touch of muscadelle, then aged in oak for added texture and complexity.

What makes sauternes exceptional at the Thanksgiving table is its interplay of sweetness, spice and acidity—a trio that mirrors the warm baking spices and buttery richness of traditional holiday pies. Its notes of honeycomb, apricot, candied citrus, vanilla, baked pear and crème brûlée harmonize beautifully with pumpkin pie, pecan pie and apple pie, while its brightness keeps the pairing from feeling overly heavy.

The new Jordan Sauternes crafted in collaboration with Château Guiraud in France, brings that same classic elegance in a fresh, modern expression: refined sweetness, layered orchard fruit and silky texture, all lifted by a clean finish. It’s an elevated dessert wine that complements—not overwhelms—the pie on your plate.

Port 

Port is a fortified wine from Portugal known for its rich, sweet flavors, although it can also be made in dry styles. It’s produced from a blend of indigenous grape varieties, including touriga nacional, and is aged in oak barrels to develop its deep, complex profile. The fortification process involves adding aguardente (a type of brandy) to stop fermentation, preserving the natural sugars and resulting in a wine with a higher alcohol content and a distinctive sweetness.

Since Thanksgiving is a special occasion, try a 20 or 30 year old tawny port. With flavors of dried apricots figs, raisins, toasted nuts, caramel, honey and a touch of spice, tawny port makes a delicious match to classic Thanksgiving pies like pumpkin, apple or pecan pie. 

Learn more about different styles of port here. 

Sherry

Hailing from Spain, sherry is another type of fortified wine that’s made in a range of styles, from dry and crisp to rich and sweet. It is made primarily from the palomino grape and uses the solera system aging process to create complex flavors. 

There are two styles of sherry that make ideal wine pairings for Thanksgiving pies: 

• Oloroso: This sherry has a rich texture with aromatic notes of vanilla, almonds, cinnamon, hay and walnuts. Its toasty profile with nutty flavors beautifully complements the warm spices in apple or pumpkin pies. 
• Pedro Ximinez: This classic sherry delivers aromas and flavors of raisins, dates and dried figs, complemented by hints of spice and chocolate. PX is a great match for chocolate, red or blue fruit and nutty pies. 

Learn how to serve different styles of sherry here. 

Happy Hosting

Choosing the right wine for Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be complicated. With a range of options from sparkling wines to reds, whites and dessert wines, there’s something to suit every dish and preference. By focusing on balance and flavor, you can easily find the perfect wine to enhance the celebration and elevate the diverse spread of dishes.

Now that you’re squared away with wine, don’t forget to set the scene for your Thanksgiving feast. For inspiration, explore these centerpiece ideas for a festive table or browse creative fall place setting ideas to elevate your holiday décor. A beautifully set table paired with thoughtfully chosen wines is sure to make your Thanksgiving celebration unforgettable.