The Ultimate Thanksgiving Wine Guide
Hosting Thanksgiving for family and friends can feel overwhelming – from planning the menu to pairing with the perfect wine. MacArthur Beverages has compiled this resource to guide you through how to choose the appropriate wines for your Thanksgiving celebration.
Thanksgiving Entertaining & Menu Strategy
What wines are best for Thanksgiving?
Generally the best wines for Thanksgiving and traditional Thanksgiving meals span all types of wine types (red, white, rose and sparkling), with specific focus on light-to-medium reds (such as Pinot Noir or Gamay), crisp or buttery whites (such as Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay), and sweet dessert wines (such as Rieslings). Throughout this article, we’ll explain which wines are best served with each course and menu item and why and provide you with our curated selections from value wines to to-shelf wines.
We’ve also compiled a full list of our favorite selections for Thanksgiving : https://bassins.com/collections/thanksgiving-selections
How do I build a Thanksgiving wine menu?
When building your Thanksgiving wine menu, follow these three guidelines:
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Balance the Progression: Move from crisp apéritifs to structured dinner wines and sweet dessert pairings.
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Accommodate Varied Palates: Select versatile bottles for seasoned enthusiasts, sweet wine fans, and guests who dislike dry, tannic reds (e.g., Beaujolais, off-dry Riesling, soft Merlot).
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Glassware & Serving Temperatures: Keep bubbles and whites properly chilled while allowing hearty reds room to breathe.
Need help building the wine menu? We built a handy calculator at the bottom of this article that you can use to calculate the wine you'll need based on number of guests and the components of your Thanksgiving meal. But you can also always reach out to our wine experts at MacArthur Beverages can help you select the best wines to serve with each course for Thanksgiving. You can call us at 202-338-1433 or stop by our store in Washington, DC for personalized assistance.
The Thanksgiving Table: Turkey, Sides, and Savory Comforts
Should I serve white, red, or rosé for Thanksgiving?
Which wines you serve during Thanksgiving dinner depends primarily on the dishes you are serving. As you’ll read in the sections below, the make up of the meal, such as fat content, sweetness, starchiness and more, affect how a wine will taste. White, red, and rosé all have their place at a Thanksgiving table, based on what you are serving.
Which wine should I serve with appetizers before the Thanksgiving meal?
If you’re planning an appetizer or cocktail hour before you serve your Thanksgiving meal, crisp sparklers and aromatic whites such as Sauvignon Blanc and Grüner Veltliner should pair nicely with your pre-dinner appetizers and snacks.
Wines like Sauvignon Blanc and Grüner Veltliner have high natural acidity, which triggers saliva production and digestive enzymes, essentially priming the stomach for a heavy meal. They also leave the palate energized, clean, and sharp and typically have a lower to moderate level of alcohol, preventing guests from feeling sluggish or overly intoxicated before the big Thanksgiving meal.
What wine pairs best with traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner?
The best wines to pair with a traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner are light-to-medium reds, such as Pinot Noir and Gamay. These wines have low tannins and high acidity, which balances well with lean poultry and rich stuffing and gravy.
Tannins bind to fats and proteins, but turkey is a lean meat and therefore low in fat. Without enough fat to absorb the tannins, those compounds bind directly to the proteins in your saliva. This strips away the mouth's natural moisture, making an already delicate meat feel parched, chalky, and stringy, while the wine tastes bitter and metallic.
Which wines are best paired with traditional Thanksgiving side dishes?
Because there are multiple traditional Thanksgiving side dishes, we’ve compiled a table below of our recommended pairings for each traditional Thanksgiving side dish.
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Side Dish |
Primary Flavor Profile |
Recommended Wine Pairing |
Why the Pairing Works |
Our Recommendations from MacArthur Beverages |
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Savory, herbal (sage, thyme, rosemary), earthy, and buttery. |
Pinot Noir (Red) or Oaked / Neutral Chardonnay (White) |
Pinot Noir’s earthy undertones and forest-floor notes mirror savory herbs and mushrooms, while a textured Chardonnay complements the rich butter and breadcrumb weight. |
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Mashed Potatoes with Rich Gravy |
Heavy starch, dairy fats, and savory/umami-rich drippings. |
Dry Sparkling Wine (Champagne / Cava / Crémant) or Chardonnay |
Sparkling acidity and effervescence cut directly through dense butter and cream to refresh the palate, while full-bodied Chardonnay matches the creamy texture. |
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Cranberry Sauce |
High acidity, tartness, and intense sweetness. |
Off-Dry Riesling (White) or Beaujolais / Gamay (Red) |
Dry wines turn sour and metallic against sweet cranberry sauce. An off-dry Riesling has enough residual sugar to balance the sweetness, while Gamay provides juicy red-berry fruit that blends seamlessly. |
View Product
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Green Bean Casserole |
Cream of mushroom, crispy fried onions, and vegetal greens. |
Dry Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc |
Green beans and mushrooms can make tannic wines taste bitter. Crisp, high-acid whites cut through heavy mushroom sauce and fried onions while complementing the vegetal green character. |
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Dense sweetness, brown sugar, baking spices, and marshmallows. |
Gewürztraminer (White) or Zinfandel / Primitivo (Red) |
Gewürztraminer’s natural lychee, ginger, and allspice notes embrace the baking spices. If serving a red, jammy Zinfandel matches the dish's sweetness without tasting sharp. |
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Sharp cheddar, baked crust, and rich, coating dairy fat. |
Dry Rosé or Sparkling Blanc de Blancs |
Rosé and sparkling whites deliver sharp acidity that slices right through the heavy layer of melted cheese, preventing the palate from feeling weighed down. |
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Bitter cruciferous greens, caramelized edges, and smoky/salty bacon fat. |
Grüner Veltliner (White) or Cabernet Franc (Red) |
Brussels sprouts contain bitter sulfur compounds that clash with most reds. Grüner Veltliner matches their peppery green profile, while Cabernet Franc brings savory herbal notes that hold up against bacon. |
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Crumbly texture, sweet corn flavor, and melted butter. |
Viognier or Unoaked Chardonnay |
Viognier offers a round, plush texture with stone fruit and floral aromatics that complement the sweet corn notes without overpowering the bread. |
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Traditional Herb or Sausage Stuffing
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Cornbread
What dessert wines go well with pumpkin pie and other Thanksgiving desserts?
The best dessert wines to pair with pumpkin, pecan and appley pies are late-harvest Rieslings , Sauternes, and nutty Tawny Ports. The key to finding the right balance with a dessert wine and pies involves three avoiding culinary hurdles: extreme sugar concentration, heavy fat from butter and dairy, and distinctive aromatic spices. Late-harvest Riesling, Sauternes, and Tawny Port—represent the benchmark pairings because each satisfies the cardinal rule of dessert pairing (the wine must be sweeter than the dessert) to mirror a pie's core flavor profile.
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Pie Type |
Primary Wine Pairing |
Alternative / Accessible Pick |
Why the Pairing Works |
Our Recommendations from MacArthur Beverages |
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Late-Harvest Riesling (Germany or Finger Lakes) |
Moscato d'Asti (Italy) or Icewine |
Razor-sharp acidity cuts heavy butter crust and fruit pectin, while honeyed baked-apple and pear notes mirror the filling. |
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Sauternes (Bordeaux, France) |
Tokaji Aszú (5 Puttonyos) (Hungary) or Vin Santo (Italy) |
Botrytis flavors (candied orange peel, ginger, and saffron) mirror pumpkin spices, and unctuous viscosity balances the dense egg custard. |
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10- or 20-Year Tawny Port (Portugal) |
Madeira (Bual or Malmsey) or Pedro Ximénez (PX) Sherry |
Decades of barrel oxidation yield notes of toasted hazelnut, toffee, and molasses that fuse seamlessly with roasted pecans and dark corn syrup. |
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Late-Harvest Gewürztraminer (Alsace, France) |
Rutherglen Muscat (Australia) |
Exotic lychee, ginger, and allspice aromas enhance the root vegetable's natural sweetness and creamy, spiced texture. |
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Late-Bottled Vintage (LBV) Ruby Port |
Brachetto d’Acqui (Sparkling red, Italy) |
Concentrated dark fruit, blackberry, and plum notes match the rich berry filling, while high acid prevents the cooked fruit from tasting bitter. |
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Demi-Sec Champagne / Crémant |
Late-Harvest Chenin Blanc (Coteaux du Layon, France) |
Effervescence and residual sweetness balance sharp citrus curd without allowing the pie's high acidity to strip the wine's fruit flavor. |
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Banyuls or Maury (Fortified Grenache, France) |
Recioto della Valpolicella (Italy) |
Fortified red fruits, raisin, and cocoa nuances withstand the intense bitterness and fat of dark chocolate without drying the palate. |
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Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise (Rhône, France) |
Vouvray Moelleux (Loire, France) |
Floral aromatics, peach, and tropical fruit notes lift rich vanilla custard and whipped cream without feeling heavy. |
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Oloroso Sherry (Medium / Cream) |
Hungarian Late-Harvest Furmint |
Nutty, oxidized richness and sharp tang handle the simple sugar-and-buttermilk custard and caramelized top crust. |
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Traditional Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie
Sweet Potato Pie
Cherry or Mixed Berry Pie
Key Lime or Lemon Meringue Pie
Chocolate Silk or Fudge Pie
Banana or Coconut Cream Pie
Chess or Buttermilk Pie
Purchasing Your Thanksgiving Wine
Thanksgiving Dinner Math: How Many Bottles Should You Buy?
If you are planning wine for dinner only, estimate 0.75 bottles per guest. If you are including an extended cocktail period before or after dinner, estimate 1.25 bottles per guest. Based on the course served, you will likely also want to spread the wine allocation across various wine types (sparkling, white, rose, or red).
For Thanksgiving, it’s also acceptable to overestimate how much wine you will need. Remember that you’ll likely be either hosting additional winter holiday gatherings or attending them, and leftover bottles can be served at these gatherings or unopened bottles given as host gifts.
MacArthur Beverages · Washington, DC
Thanksgiving Wine & Bottle Planner
Calculate exact bottle counts and add the recommended quantities directly to your cart at bassins.com.
1. Party Details
2. Select Your Side Dishes
Check what you are serving to tailor bottle allocations and pairings.
3. Dessert / Pie Selection
Total Recommended Bottles
11
1.25 bottles / guest (+1 cushion)
Recommended Bottle Allocation
Custom Menu Pairings & In-Stock Bottles
● Direct Cart SyncQuantities below match your calculated wine type allocations.
We’re here to help!
Just like the Butterball turkey hotline is available to support you through cooking your Thanksgiving turkey, MacArthur Beverages’ expert staff is available to help you select the perfect wines for your Thanksgiving dinner. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 202-338-1433 or stop by our store in Washington, DC for help in selecting your Thanksgiving or holiday celebration wines.
Sources:
- Court of Master Sommeliers (Americas) — Food & Wine Pairing Guide
- Wine Folly — Sensory Food & Wine Pairing Foundations
- Wine Folly — Thanksgiving & Holiday Pairing Guide
- The Oxford Companion to Wine
- GuildSomm — Food & Wine Pairing Mechanics
- Wine & Spirit Education Trust
- Wine Spectator — Holiday Entertaining & Pairings