Our Favorite Wines for Thanksgiving
By Mark Blanchard / November 3, 2021
Harvest has ended, the leaves are falling from the trees and the crisp autumn air fills our breath. It’s a festive time of year when we gather with friends and family, create celebratory feasts and toast to the season with glasses of fine wine. This year, more than ever, we all deserve a chance to gather and rejoice in the holidays.
The Blanchard family couldn’t be more excited to enjoy our own celebrations, and we want to help you make your holidays extra special this year. So we thought we could give some insightful recommendations for wine pairings for one of the most meaningful meals of the year, Thanksgiving.
Sparkling Wine
A bottle of good sparkling wine is the perfect way to celebrate. We ring in the New Year, toast at birthday parties and pop the cork on bubbles for all special occasions. But sparkling wine can be an incredibly surprising food wine, especially with Thanksgiving.
Turkey is a marvelous pairing with any white wine. But the right bottle of sparkling, with vibrant citrus flavors and a nutty finish, can be especially delightful. We love our classic Sparkling Brut, but we are also excited to introduce our new Sparkling Brut Rosé, both perfect for elevating your Thanksgiving meal.
Dry Rosé
When picking out the right wine to pair with Thanksgiving, turkey is not the only dish to take into consideration. After all, the table could be overflowing with various side dishes, such as cranberry sauce, stuffing, and green beans. What style of wine could possibly pair with such diverse dishes? Rosé of course.
Rosé is complex and acidic enough for turkey, yet light and fruity enough for anything from mash potatoes to candied yams. We are such fans of dry Rosé, between our Healdsburg and Denver wineries, we have 3 different wines for you to try.
Pinot Noir
Sometimes no matter what the meal is, some guests at your party just want to drink red wine. Don’t fret, because an elegant and soft Pinot Noir can actually pair with the dark meat of turkey brilliantly.
Heavy and tannic red wines can overpower many Thanksgiving dishes, but the subtlety of Pinot Noir complements your bird, while the earthy and spicy qualities match nicely with everything else on the table. It even pairs perfectly with the pumpkin pie dessert. We recommend our 2018 Russian River Pinot Noir.
Whatever wine you choose this Thanksgiving, the Blanchard family hopes that your season is filled with hope, love and cheer! Share your favorite holiday wine pairings with us on social media @blanchardwine