The Thanksgiving Table: Dish-by-Dish Pairings From Our Top 100
Gravy-proof Pinot, a Lambrusco for the ham, and a Madeira that will outlast the leftovers.
Thanksgiving is the one meal of the year where everything lands on the plate at once. Tart cranberry next to buttery potatoes next to a turkey that may or may not have come out dry, and at plenty of tables, a glazed ham sitting right beside the bird.
No single bottle covers all of that, and nobody needs it to. Set out a white, a red and something for the pie, and let everyone help themselves.
To make the shopping easy, we went dish by dish through this year’s Top 100. Here’s the plan.
Turkey is lean and mild, so the wine has to bring the brightness. Ken Wright’s Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir, from one of Oregon’s Pinot pioneers, has the red cherry and lively acidity to cut through the gravy without overpowering the white meat. Team white? Domaine Laroque’s Chardonnay, from near Carcassonne in the south of France, is round and sunny, with enough texture to meet all that butter.
Cranberry sauce is tart, sweet potatoes are sweet, stuffing is savory, and Riesling gets along with all three. Go bone-dry with Hillick & Hobbs from New York’s Finger Lakes, Jim Barry’s Lodge Hill from Australia’s Clare Valley, or Willm’s Grand Cru from Alsace. For a touch of sweetness alongside the sweet potatoes, try Dr. Loosen’s Spätlese from Germany’s Mosel. All four are just as good with the shrimp cocktail.
Ham is salty, sweet and usually shiny with glaze, so it wants a wine that’s juicy, low in tannin and high in acidity. Cleto Chiarli’s Lambrusco di Sorbara comes from Emilia-Romagna, the same corner of Italy as prosciutto, and its tart red berries and fine bubbles know their way around cured pork. Domaines Ott’s Bandol rosé brings red berries and a savory, herbal edge that balances the sweetness.
Some tables swap the bird for beef, and prime rib calls for a red with real structure. Jordan’s Alexander Valley Cabernet is polished and balanced, with dark cherry and cassis that hold up through a long dinner. Château Saint-André Corbin, a plush, Merlot-led Bordeaux, is one of our customers’ most-bought wines on the list, and its price leaves room for a second bottle.
St. Emilion, Bordeaux, France ● Bordeaux Red Blends
93 Decanter
92 Wine Enthusiast
91 Wilfred Wong
90 James Suckling
$55
$26.97
Save room for the pie
Course 05
Tawny Port or Madeira
The rule with dessert wine is simple: it should be at least as sweet as the pie. Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny brings toasted nuts, caramel and orange peel, made for pecan. Blandy’s 5 Year Malmsey Madeira has toffee, dried fruit and bright acidity for pumpkin, and since Madeira keeps for weeks once opened, the bottle will still be good at Christmas.
Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon ● Pinot Noir
Languedoc, South of France, France ● Chardonnay
