Thanksgiving wine pairings are notoriously tricky. Here’s why you should skip the ‘serious reds.’
This fruity young Oregon pinot noir is light enough to crack at noon and continue sipping on all day.
With turkey day around the corner, now is the time to stock up on suitable wines for your family’s Thanksgiving feast. To find a complete list of my go-to holiday wine suggestions, all of which are stocked in Pennsylvania’s Fine Wine and Good Spirits stores, let’s focus on the most challenging item on the holiday wine shopping list: a Thanksgiving-friendly red, like this fruity young pinot noir from Oregon.
Many people think the reason red wines are hard to pair for this holiday dinner is that turkey is a white meat that favors white wines, and there is some truth to this. Generally speaking, lighter, paler, and younger reds make the best picks for any poultry-centric meal. However, there is another complicating factor in that most red wines are dry — meaning not sweet — and the lightest reds in the fine wine space tend to also be quite tart, especially the classic styles like Italian Chianti or French Burgundy. These traits, which are usually food-pairing assets, become distinct liabilities at American Thanksgiving dinners because of the sky-high sugar content of this holiday’s traditional sauces and sides. The drier and more acidic a red wine tastes on its own, the more problematic it will taste with cranberry sauce or marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole.
That’s why the best bet is to skip the “serious reds” at this meal and instead opt for something that is fresh, fruity, and lightweight, like this crowd-pleasing Oregon pinot noir. The sappy freshness of its raspberry and strawberry flavors will partner nicely with both the turkey and its cranberry sauce. Even better, it has cross-generational appeal at a great price and is light enough to crack at noon and continue sipping on all day.
Firesteed Pinot Noir
Oregon; 13.5% ABV
PLCB Item #4999, on sale for $15.69 through Nov. 30 (regularly $17.69)
Also available at: WineWorks in Marlton ($15.99; wineworksonline.com), Canal’s of Glassboro in Glassboro ($16.99; canalsofglassboro.com), and Total Wine & More in Wilmington and Claymont, Del. ($17.69; totalwine.com).