Thanksgiving Wine Pairing Ideas for Every Palate.

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Let's Talk About Thanksgiving and Wine

The holidays are just around the corner, and Thanksgiving is coming up quick. While we can't make familial interactions any more manageable, we can help you choose wines to pair with both your dinner and support the evening's festivities.

The crazy thing about wine, is that it's so personal, right? We might like Riesling and Cru Beaujolais, but that's not all the categories of what wine encompasses. Wine, to us, is inclusive. And at meals like Thanksgiving, we like to offer a range of different wines for different palates. That way, people may indulge in their tastes, and still, have it pair well with what they're eating. The below segments are selections of Thanksgiving pairings for different wine taste buds.

The Classic Pairings: Always thoughtful with a focus on balance and presentation.

The Thanksgiving Classics.

1) 2011 Domaine de la Fontainerie Vouvray Brut $27.85
100% Chenin Blanc, 100% beautiful. The perfect way to greet your guests as they arrive! The aromas and textures in here will accent the wafting perfume from the kitchen while the "attaque" of its bubbles will wake your palate.

2) 2014 Closel Savennières La Jalousie $29.85
Closel's Savennières is the perfect Thanksgiving white wine. 100% Chenin Blanc from Savennières (Loire Valley). The perfect combination of ripe fruit with high tension, precision, and focus. Firm acidity balances the rich fruit and all combine to an explosion of lovely.

3) 2016 Château Thivin Côte-de-Brouilly $29.75
100% Gamay from Côte-de-Brouilly, one of the ten Beaujolais cru. Lots of granite and schist in the soils of this dormant volcano, and the wine when young shows a lively crunchy texture accompanied by pure fruit. Château Thivin Côte-de-Brouilly is the wine that will save your belly from too much turkey and gravy.

4) 2014 Domaine Sylvain Pataille Marsannay Rouge Clos du Roy $49.85
From the 'Master of Marsannay' himself, this exquisite Burgundy is both expressive and fresh. Harmonious aromas of herb, spice and a refreshingly mineral core keep this wine going and going in our mouths. 100% Pinot Noir from Marsannay, which is toward the top of the Côte d'Or near Dijon. Highly recommended.

The Big, Bold and Beautiful Palate Pairing: Warming red wines full of spice and everything nice.

Big, Bold Red Pairings.

1) 2014 Balboa Red Blend $21.85
From their Estate Eidolon Vineyard, this blend is comprised of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Syrah, 16% Petit Verdot and 12% Malbec. We love this wine for its dark fruit nose accented by hints of coffee and spice, which travel straight to the palate and finish with plush-yet-gritty tannins.

2) 2011 Cafaggio Basilica del Cortaccio Cabernet Sauvignon $29.85
Arguably the best, inexpensive "Super Tuscan"? You'll have to taste it for yourself to appreciate the luxuriant, velvety texture, strong core and impressive mouthfeel this wine conveys.

3) 2014 Two Vintners, Some Days Are Stones $54.85
100% Washington Syrah from Stoney Vine Vineyard by one of our favorite Washington winemakers. The stoney-minerality present on the palate is both intriguing, and great for any red wine lover who doesn't want to overdo both big red wine and big Thanksgiving dinner.

4) 2006 Fumanelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico $89.90
Fumanelli's Amarone della Valpolicella from 2006 will be the wine to make you want to put up your feet, turn on the fireplace, and relax with your friends and family toward the end of the meal. Incredibly complex with aromas and flavors that will evolve as the night progresses. This wine will stimulate both conversation and relaxation.

The Unconventional Pairing: It might be a little off-the-beaten-path, and harder to find for Thanksgiving pairings, but you never cared for conventional scores anyway.

The Unconventional (but delicious) Pairings.

1) Alexander Jules, Fino Sherry 4 | 65 $44.95
Sherry might not be at the top of everyone's Thanksgiving pairing list, but we have a fondness for it with sumptuous meals. The reasoning: to clean and prepare your palate between each bite, leaving you invigorated between courses! And this sherry is not just any sherry. The texture and bursting flavors of this wine are perfect for any large get-together or multi-coursed meal.

2) 2015 Tokaji Furmint, Evolúió $12.85
Fresh pear, tropical fruit, herbal highlights and a texture that lingers greets you in this friendly dry Tokaji Furmint from Hungary. It fits the same taste category that Chenin Blanc would for Thanksgiving, but with fresher fruit and that lovely hint of herb.

3) 2015 Viola Cellars, Dolcetto d'Allegre $27.85100% Dolcetto from the Allegre vineyard (certified organic) in the Columbia Gorge! What's even crazier, is that the fruit here is so pure and energetic

4) 2015 Cahors Le Pur Fruit du Causse Château Combel la Serre $16.85
Usually, I wouldn't suggest a Cahors Malbec as a Thanksgiving pairing. However, this Malbec from Cahors is fantastically fruity, with gritty tannins, which makes me equate this to the Sud-Ouest's version of Beaujolais cru. Different fruit of course, but similar soul.

Happy to help.

If any of these look delicious to you, we'll be tasting through these wines in the next couple of weeks to help you on your holiday journey! Stay tuned for our next round of tastings; they're going to be amazing.