Best Wine for Thanksgiving: 15 Bottles for Turkey, Ham & Every Side Dish

What Wine Goes Best With Thanksgiving Dinner?

If you only remember one rule, make it this:

Thanksgiving favors freshness over power.

Big Cabernet Sauvignon can be wonderful, but heavy tannin isn't necessarily what roast turkey and cranberry sauce need.

Instead, look toward wines with:

• Bright acidity
• Moderate tannins
• Red-fruit character
• Fresh citrus or orchard fruit
• Moderate alcohol
• Herbal or savory complexity
• A touch of sweetness when appropriate

Most importantly, don't feel obligated to serve only one wine.

Thanksgiving is one of the best dinners of the year for putting three or four completely different bottles on the table and letting everyone find their favorite.

15 Best Wines for Thanksgiving

Evesham Wood 2024 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

If someone asks for one classic Thanksgiving red, Oregon Pinot Noir is very difficult to beat.

Evesham Wood's 2024 Willamette Valley bottling brings cherry, cranberry, wild berries, red apple, flowers, earth and spice together with bright acidity and fine tannins.

Those flavors practically read like a Thanksgiving ingredient list.

The wine is light enough for turkey breast, earthy enough for mushroom stuffing and bright enough to deal with cranberry sauce without becoming lost.

Decanter awarded the wine 93 points and described it as exceptional value among American Pinot Noir.

Best With: Roast turkey, mushroom stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy.

Why It Works: Pinot Noir's combination of red fruit, earthiness and acidity makes it one of the safest all-table Thanksgiving wines.

Joseph Phelps 2023 Freestone Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

For a more serious Thanksgiving Pinot, head toward the Sonoma Coast.

Joseph Phelps spent decades developing the cool-climate Freestone project just eight miles from the Pacific Ocean. Until 2026, these wines were largely restricted to winery and allocation customers before broader distribution began.

The 2023 Pinot Noir combines red cherry, summer berries and plum with black tea, forest floor, sandalwood, pepper and citrus peel.

That savory dimension makes it particularly good with herbs, roasted poultry and stuffing.

Best With: Herb-roasted turkey, turkey thighs, mushroom stuffing and roasted root vegetables.

Why It Works: Cool-climate acidity keeps the meal fresh while earthy Pinot character mirrors Thanksgiving's savory flavors.

Ayres 2023 Gamay Noir Chehalem Mountains

Gamay might be the most underrated Thanksgiving red.

It gives you much of Pinot Noir's red-fruit freshness with even less tannin and an almost irresistible juicy quality.

Ayres produces this Oregon Gamay with cherry, raspberry, cranberry and pomegranate alongside white pepper, herbs and subtle earthy mineral notes.

Serve it slightly cool and watch how quickly the bottle disappears.

Best With: Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, Brussels sprouts and charcuterie before dinner.

Why It Works: Bright fruit and low tannin allow Gamay to move effortlessly between sweet, savory and herbal dishes.

Château des Jacques 2022 Moulin-à-Vent La Rochelle by Louis Jadot

If you like the idea of Gamay but want something with more structure, move up to Cru Beaujolais.

Moulin-à-Vent is one of Beaujolais' most serious appellations, producing Gamay capable of showing considerably more depth and ageability than simple Beaujolais Nouveau.

La Rochelle brings red cherry, raspberry, violet, herbs, spice and granite-driven mineral character with enough structure to handle darker turkey meat and richer sides.

Best With: Dark-meat turkey, sausage stuffing, roasted mushrooms and gravy.

Why It Works: It offers Pinot-like finesse with additional Gamay juiciness and enough structure for the richest parts of Thanksgiving dinner.

Dönnhoff 2023 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese

Riesling is one of the great Thanksgiving wines because Thanksgiving isn't entirely savory.

You've got cranberry sauce. Sweet potatoes. Glazed ham. Caramelized vegetables. Sometimes even marshmallows.

Dönnhoff's Hermannshöhle Spätlese brings sweetness, but crucially, it also brings intense acidity and mineral tension.

Robert Parker awarded the 2023 vintage 93+ points, highlighting its concentration, saline character and crystalline acidity.

That sweet-acid balance allows it to handle dishes that make many dry wines struggle.

Best With: Honey-glazed ham, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and spicy sides.

Why It Works: Riesling's acidity prevents sweetness from becoming heavy while its fruit complements Thanksgiving's sweeter dishes.

Cave de Ribeauvillé 2017 Gewürztraminer Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim

Gewürztraminer is another Thanksgiving wine that deserves far more attention.

This Grand Cru Alsace example offers blossom honey, Mirabelle plum, candied fruit, chalk and beeswax with the grape's famously aromatic personality.

Wine Enthusiast awarded it 92 points.

The richer texture and gentle sweetness are particularly useful when the Thanksgiving table moves toward glazed ham, sweet potatoes and strongly seasoned dishes.

Best With: Glazed ham, sweet potatoes, aromatic stuffing and spicy Thanksgiving dishes.

Why It Works: Aromatic intensity lets Gewürztraminer stand up to flavors that can overwhelm more neutral white wines.

Kistler 2024 Chardonnay Sonoma Mountain

For the Chardonnay drinker at the table, Kistler gives Thanksgiving a serious upgrade.

This Sonoma Mountain Chardonnay combines ripe pear, peach and lemon oil with toasted almond, mineral tension and restrained oak.

It has enough richness for gravy and buttery mashed potatoes but enough acidity to keep the entire combination from becoming exhausting.

This is especially useful if your turkey preparation involves butter, herbs or a creamy sauce.

Best With: Roast turkey breast, mashed potatoes, gravy, creamed vegetables and mac and cheese.

Why It Works: Chardonnay's texture mirrors the richer foods while acidity provides balance.

Ridge 2023 Grenache Blanc Paso Robles Adelaida Vineyard

Grenache Blanc is a brilliant option when Chardonnay feels too predictable.

Ridge blends 84% Grenache Blanc with Picpoul and a small amount of Roussanne, producing lime, nectarine, lemon blossom and mineral freshness with a silky texture.

The wine earned 93 points from James Suckling and Owen Bargreen.

It has enough weight for turkey while its citrus and floral qualities brighten the meal.

Best With: Turkey breast, cornbread stuffing, green beans and roasted squash.

Why It Works: You get Chardonnay-like food versatility with brighter citrus and more aromatic lift.

Curran 2023 Grenache Blanc Santa Barbara County

Kris Curran helped pioneer Grenache Blanc in California, making this an especially interesting bottle for guests who want something beyond Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

The wine is dry but generous, with mango, white peach, passion fruit and elderflower supported by refreshing acidity.

That tropical-fruit character can be surprisingly effective against sweet-and-savory Thanksgiving combinations.

Best With: Turkey, sweet potatoes, squash, herb stuffing and roasted carrots.

Why It Works: Ripe fruit handles sweeter sides while acidity prevents the pairing from becoming cloying.

Lieu Dit 2024 Chenin Blanc Santa Ynez Valley

Chenin Blanc may be Thanksgiving's other secret weapon.

Lieu Dit's 2024 Santa Ynez Valley expression combines lime, white peach, quince blossom and mineral character with enough texture to work alongside richer foods.

The wine retains the acidity that makes Chenin Blanc so useful at complicated dinner tables.

That means it can handle turkey, creamy dishes and vegetables without disappearing.

Best With: Roast turkey, stuffing, green beans, mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables.

Why It Works: Chenin combines Chardonnay-like texture with Riesling-like acidity—a very useful Thanksgiving combination.

Domaine du Vieux Lazaret 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc

Here's the white wine for the guest who normally reaches for reds.

This Southern Rhône blend combines Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne, creating nectarine, grapefruit, yellow apple, flowers, almond, spice and saline mineral character.

Wine Spectator awarded it 91 points.

It is fuller and more savory than many white wines, which gives it enough presence to stand beside dark turkey meat, gravy and heavily seasoned stuffing.

Best With: Herb-roasted turkey, sausage stuffing, gravy and roasted root vegetables.

Why It Works: Rhône whites combine body, herbs and fruit without introducing the tannins of a big red.

Hamel 2022 Grenache Moon Mountain District

If Pinot Noir feels too light but Cabernet feels too heavy, Grenache is the middle ground.

Hamel's Moon Mountain Grenache offers cranberry, tart cherry, orange peel, sage, thyme and fresh earth with energetic acidity and relatively restrained alcohol.

Wine Enthusiast awarded the wine 95 points.

The cranberry and herbal characteristics make the Thanksgiving connection almost unavoidable.

Best With: Dark turkey meat, herb stuffing, cranberry sauce and roasted vegetables.

Why It Works: Grenache provides more weight than Pinot without introducing aggressive tannins.

Turley Wine Cellars 2022 Rattlesnake Ridge Zinfandel Howell Mountain

Now we get to the ham.

A sweet or smoky glazed ham can handle a wine with substantially more fruit and power than turkey breast.

Turley's Howell Mountain Zinfandel brings dark berries, plum, herbs, licorice, spice and mountain structure while retaining enough acidity to remain balanced.

Robert Parker awarded the 2022 vintage 94+ points.

This isn't the wine I'd choose for delicate turkey breast, but put it beside smoked ham, sausage stuffing or richer Thanksgiving dishes and it makes considerably more sense.

Best With: Glazed ham, smoked ham, sausage stuffing and roasted pork.

Why It Works: Zinfandel's generous fruit stands up to smoke, sweetness and richer meat.

Domaine de Terrebrune 2025 Bandol Rosé

Rosé at Thanksgiving?

Absolutely.

And Bandol rosé is very different from the feather-light poolside style many people imagine.

Domaine de Terrebrune produces a structured, Mourvèdre-driven rosé with mineral and saline character capable of working through an entire meal.

Importer Kermit Lynch specifically recommends Terrebrune rosé as a complement to Thanksgiving dinner.

It's particularly useful when your table has both turkey and ham because rosé sits comfortably between white and red wine territory.

Best With: Turkey, ham, cranberry sauce, appetizers and roasted vegetables.

Why It Works: Freshness for turkey, enough structure for ham and fruit that doesn't fight cranberry sauce.

J.J. Vincent Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Sparkling Wine

Every Thanksgiving table should have bubbles.

J.J. Vincent produces this Crémant de Bourgogne using traditional bottle fermentation, delivering green apple, lemon, white peach, brioche, hazelnut and mineral freshness.

Open it while everyone is arriving and it works with cheese, charcuterie and appetizers.

Leave the bottle on the table and the acidity and bubbles will happily continue through turkey, stuffing and fried or creamy sides.

Best With: Appetizers, cheese, turkey, fried starters and basically everything before dessert.

Why It Works: Sparkling wine's acidity and carbonation reset your palate between rich Thanksgiving dishes.

Best Red Wine for Thanksgiving Turkey

Pinot Noir remains the classic answer.

Turkey is relatively delicate, so heavily tannic reds can overpower it. Pinot Noir gives you red fruit, acidity and savory character without excessive weight.

For this table:

• Evesham Wood Pinot Noir is the classic crowd-pleasing choice.
• Joseph Phelps Freestone is the more serious Sonoma Coast option.
• Ayres Gamay is even lighter and juicier.
• Château des Jacques Moulin-à-Vent adds more structure.
• Hamel Grenache works when the meal is richer and more herb-driven.

If you're serving several reds, put out a Pinot, a Gamay and a Grenache and let the table decide.

Best White Wine for Thanksgiving Turkey

Thanksgiving is exceptionally friendly to white wine.

Chardonnay works because butter, gravy and creamy sides love texture.

Riesling works because Thanksgiving contains plenty of sweetness.

Chenin Blanc works because acidity keeps everything refreshed.

Grenache Blanc and Rhône blends provide enough body for people who normally prefer red wine.

If you only want two whites, choose one richer bottle and one brighter bottle.

Kistler Chardonnay + Dönnhoff Riesling gives the table almost everything it needs.

Best Wine With Thanksgiving Ham

Ham changes the equation because it is often salty, smoky and sweet at the same time.

That's exactly why aggressively dry, tannic reds aren't always ideal.

Instead, try:

• Dönnhoff Riesling with honey-glazed ham
• Gewürztraminer with sweeter or spiced glazes
• Turley Zinfandel with smoked or richly glazed ham
• Bandol Rosé when turkey and ham share the table

The goal is to match the ham's intensity without making its saltiness feel harsher.

Best Wine With Thanksgiving Stuffing

Stuffing may actually influence your wine choice more than the turkey.

Traditional sage-and-herb stuffing loves Pinot Noir and Grenache.

Mushroom stuffing is excellent with earthy Pinot Noir or Cru Beaujolais.

Sausage stuffing can handle Moulin-à-Vent, Grenache or even Zinfandel.

Cornbread stuffing works particularly well with textured whites such as Grenache Blanc or Chardonnay.

Think about the strongest flavors inside your stuffing and pair around those.

Best Wine With Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce is one reason Thanksgiving wine can be tricky.

It is tart, fruity and often quite sweet.

A dry, heavily tannic red can taste harsh beside it.

Instead, choose wine with bright fruit.

Gamay, Pinot Noir and Grenache all have enough red-fruit character to bridge naturally into cranberry.

Riesling works from the opposite direction, using sweetness and acidity to meet the sauce on its own terms.

Best Wine With Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

This is Chardonnay territory.

Butter, cream and gravy need enough wine texture to avoid being overwhelmed.

Kistler Chardonnay has the body and oak integration to handle the richness while retaining enough acidity to keep the pairing fresh.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc is another excellent option, especially when the gravy is heavily seasoned with herbs.

Best Wine With Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes become difficult when brown sugar, maple syrup or marshmallows enter the equation.

Don't fight sweetness with an aggressively dry wine.

Riesling and Gewürztraminer are much more comfortable here.

The Dönnhoff Spätlese provides sweetness balanced by intense acidity, while Cave de Ribeauvillé Gewürztraminer adds floral, honeyed and stone-fruit character.

Best Wine With Thanksgiving Appetizers

Start with sparkling wine.

It's almost impossible to go wrong.

Crémant works with:

• Cheese boards
• Charcuterie
• Smoked salmon
• Deviled eggs
• Fried appetizers
• Nuts
• Crudités

And because the wine is refreshing rather than heavy, nobody arrives at dinner already exhausted by what they've been drinking.

How Many Bottles of Wine Do You Need for Thanksgiving?

A standard 750ml bottle provides roughly five normal glasses of wine.

For a long Thanksgiving meal with several wines available, a practical rule is roughly one bottle for every two drinking adults, with some extra if the celebration runs through the afternoon and evening.

For eight wine-drinking guests, instead of buying four identical bottles, consider:

• 1 bottle sparkling wine for arrival
• 1–2 bottles white wine
• 2 bottles red wine
• 1 aromatic or slightly sweeter wine for ham and sweet sides

That gives everyone something to explore and makes the meal much more interesting.

The Easy Thanksgiving Wine Lineup

If choosing 15 wines feels like too much, here's the simplified version.

• Welcome Wine: J.J. Vincent Crémant de Bourgogne
• Best All-Purpose Red: Evesham Wood Pinot Noir
• Best All-Purpose White: Kistler Chardonnay
• Best for Ham & Sweet Sides: Dönnhoff Riesling Spätlese
• Best Adventurous Red: Ayres Gamay Noir
• Best Wild Card: Domaine de Terrebrune Bandol Rosé

Put those six styles on a Thanksgiving table and almost every dish—and almost every wine drinker—is covered.

15 Thanksgiving Wines at a Glance

• Best Classic Turkey Red: Evesham Wood 2024 Pinot Noir
• Best Premium Pinot: Joseph Phelps 2023 Freestone Pinot Noir
• Best Light Red: Ayres 2023 Gamay Noir
• Best Cru Beaujolais: Château des Jacques 2022 Moulin-à-Vent La Rochelle
• Best Riesling: Dönnhoff 2023 Hermannshöhle Spätlese
• Best Aromatic White: Cave de Ribeauvillé 2017 Grand Cru Gewürztraminer
• Best Chardonnay: Kistler 2024 Sonoma Mountain
• Best Rhône-Style California White: Ridge 2023 Grenache Blanc
• Best Fruit-Driven White: Curran 2023 Grenache Blanc
• Best Chenin Blanc: Lieu Dit 2024
• Best Rich White: Domaine du Vieux Lazaret 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
• Best Grenache: Hamel 2022 Moon Mountain
• Best Wine for Ham: Turley 2022 Rattlesnake Ridge Zinfandel
• Best Rosé: Domaine de Terrebrune 2025 Bandol
• Best Thanksgiving Bubbles: J.J. Vincent Crémant de Bourgogne

Frequently Asked Questions About Thanksgiving Wine

What is the best wine for Thanksgiving?

Pinot Noir is one of the safest overall Thanksgiving choices because its bright acidity, moderate tannins and red-fruit character pair well with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and mushrooms. Riesling, Gamay, Chardonnay and Grenache are also excellent options.

What red wine goes best with turkey?

Pinot Noir and Gamay are particularly good because they provide fruit and acidity without overwhelming turkey with tannin. Grenache works well when the turkey is heavily seasoned or served with richer sides.

What white wine goes best with turkey?

Chardonnay, Riesling, Chenin Blanc and Grenache Blanc all work well. Chardonnay suits buttery and creamy dishes, while Riesling is particularly useful when cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes or glazed ham are involved.

Is Pinot Noir good for Thanksgiving?

Yes. Pinot Noir is arguably the classic Thanksgiving red. Its cranberry and cherry flavors naturally complement the meal, while its acidity and restrained tannins allow it to pair with poultry and a wide variety of sides.

Is Riesling good for Thanksgiving?

Riesling is one of the best Thanksgiving whites. Its acidity keeps the wine refreshing, while off-dry and Spätlese styles can handle sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and glazed ham better than many completely dry wines.

Is Chardonnay good with Thanksgiving turkey?

Yes, especially when turkey is served with gravy, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese or other creamy sides. Look for Chardonnay with enough acidity to balance its richer texture.

What wine goes best with Thanksgiving ham?

Riesling and Gewürztraminer are excellent with sweet glazed ham, while fruit-driven Zinfandel works particularly well with smoked or richly seasoned ham. Structured rosé is another versatile option when both ham and turkey are served.

Should you serve red or white wine at Thanksgiving?

Serve both. Thanksgiving contains too many different flavors for one category to dominate. A bright red such as Pinot Noir or Gamay and a fresh white such as Chardonnay or Riesling will cover most of the table.

Should Thanksgiving wine be expensive?

No. Food compatibility matters much more than prestige. Thanksgiving is actually a great occasion for moderately priced, food-friendly wines such as Gamay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chenin Blanc and Crémant.

What wine should I bring to Thanksgiving dinner?

If you don't know the menu, bring Pinot Noir or sparkling wine. Both are extremely versatile, widely enjoyed and capable of working with appetizers as well as much of the main meal.

Final Pour

The best wine for Thanksgiving isn't one perfect bottle.

It's a table full of options.

Start with Crémant while everyone arrives.

Put Pinot Noir and Gamay beside the turkey.

Bring out Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc for the creamy sides.

Let Riesling handle the glazed ham, cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes.

Give Grenache to the person who wants something richer.

And don't be afraid to put a serious Bandol rosé in the middle of the table in November.

Thanksgiving dinner is chaotic by design.

The wine doesn't need to control it.

It just needs to make everything on the plate taste a little better.