Thanksgiving is the hardest meal of the year to pair, and the easiest to overthink. One plate holds turkey, gravy, something sweet, something sharp, something buttery and something green. No single wine is perfect with all of it.
It doesn't have to be. This is how we approach the meal, course by course, with a note at the end on how much to buy.
Open two bottles, not one
Skip the hunt for the one bottle that does everything. Open two instead. One lighter and fresh: a dry Rosé, a Sauvignon Blanc or a Chardonnay. One red: a Pinot Noir if your crowd likes lighter reds, a Malbec or Merlot if the table leans rich.
Put both out and let people go back and forth. The lighter bottle takes the bright, tart and lean parts of the plate. The red takes the rich, savory parts. Almost every bite ends up with a partner.
Before dinner
Snacks are usually salty, crunchy and rich: nuts, cheese, crackers, maybe something fried. Fresh, bright wines are easy here, and they don't tire anyone out before the meal.
- Spiced nuts and olives: Sauvignon Blanc or a dry Rosé.
- A cheese board: dry Rosé for soft and fresh cheeses, a red like Merlot or Malbec for aged, hard ones.
- Something sparkling: if you have a bottle, this is its moment.
The turkey
Turkey is lean and mild, so the gravy and the sides usually decide the wine. That's the second of our fall pairing rules: pair to the sauce, not the protein.
- White meat: Chardonnay, dry Rosé or Pinot Noir. Nothing too heavy.
- Dark meat: a bit richer, so Pinot Noir, Merlot or Malbec.
- Gravy-heavy plates: reds step forward. Merlot and Malbec both work.
- Smoked or deep-fried turkey: the smoke and fat can carry a fuller red, like Malbec.
The sides
Most of the flavor lives on this part of the plate.
Cranberry sauce is tart and sweet at once, so reach for a dry Rosé or a Pinot Noir and let acid meet acid. Stuffing with sausage or mushrooms is savory and earthy, and suits Pinot Noir, Merlot or Malbec. Mashed potatoes and anything buttery go with Chardonnay, or with whichever red is already open. Green beans, Brussels sprouts and salads are happiest with Sauvignon Blanc or dry Rosé.
Sweet potatoes with marshmallows? Honestly, nothing pairs well with them. Have them anyway.
Dessert
Sweet food makes dry wine taste sharp and thin. If you want wine with the pie, pick something at least as sweet as the pie, like a dessert wine or a tawny port. Or pour coffee and finish the open reds with the cheese.
How much wine to buy
A standard 750 ml bottle pours about five glasses. For a long Thanksgiving meal, plan on one bottle for every two to three guests. Buy more if the evening runs late, fewer if many guests don't drink.
For a table of eight, that's three or four bottles. We'd split them between the lighter bottle and the red, with one more in reserve. Opened wine keeps a day or two with the cork back in, which is handy, because so do the leftovers.
Our table
We make two styles from our vineyard in Perdriel, Mendoza, from vines planted in 1927. They happen to fit the two-bottle approach. Mira Mira Rosé for the turkey, the salad and the cranberry sauce. Mira Mira Malbec for the dark meat, the mushroom stuffing and Friday's leftovers. Our guides to what to pair with Rosé and what to pair with Malbec go further.
Questions we get
What's the best wine for Thanksgiving dinner? There isn't one best wine, because the plate has too many flavors. Two open bottles do better than one: a fresh wine like a dry Rosé or Sauvignon Blanc, and a red like Pinot Noir, Merlot or Malbec.
Red or white with turkey? Either. Turkey is mild, so the gravy and sides matter more. Lighter wines suit white meat and bright sides. Reds suit dark meat, gravy and savory stuffing.
How many bottles do I need for eight people? About three or four. A bottle pours about five glasses, and one bottle for every two to three guests covers a long meal. Keep one extra in reserve.
