Thanksgiving Selections For Diverse Palates and Budgets

We often like to say that no wine really “matches” with the huge range of flavors and textures on the traditional Thanksgiving table. But the best Thanksgiving wines do match the mood of the day, make you feel a bit celebratory, and – at worst – survive close encounters with stuffing, cranberries and sweet potatoes.  Come taste five great wines that we think make sense for Thanksgiving, from reds both bold and lighter, a rich and spicy Gewurztraminer and a very different take on Chardonnay that will love Thanksgiving’s autumnal flavors.

Here's what you’ll try as candidates for your Thanksgiving table:

Champ Divin Cotes du Jura Chardonnay 2022 – Chardonnay for Thanksgiving isn’t an obvious call – the oak can clash a bit – but this ultra-pure, deeply flavorful, organic Chard from Jura is going to shine!

Foris Dry Gewurtztraminer Rogue Valley 2022 – Sometimes the best fit for the cacophony of flavors at table is a wildly flavorful wine – like this!  Exotic lychee fruit, a dash of rose petal and loads of pie spice coat your palate before finishing dry.

Dom du Pas Saint Martin Sous Le Tilleul 2023 – Thanksgiving is a happy day, right? Well this is 100% happy wine, bursting with super-ripe strawberry, tart cherry and fresh berry leaf flavors and juicy, lip-smacking, acidity. Turkey will be happy and cranberries will have met their match!

Dom Gilles Coperet Fleurie Les Roches 2023 – Beaujolais is a classic Thanksgiving recommendation but can feel too light for some. Problem solved here in a bigger, bolder, richer take on Gamay that somehow holds on to Fleurie’s floral freshness.

Andrew Murray Syrah Tous Les Jours 2023 – Plenty of ripe black fruit for fun and sneaky complexity from savory notes of black olive, black pepper and smoked meat. This has the stuffing to match with stuffing (and gravy!) and the ripe fruit to just sip while the turkey roasts.

Want to see how these wines handle big flavors?  Try them with this week’s featured cheese, Goat Rodeo Wild Rosemary.  Aged goat and cow milks develop a crumbly, rich, texture and flavor enhanced by a coating of olive oil and rosemary. Aromatic, savory and perfect for this very tasty season. Come try it this weekend!