Wines To Serve At Thanksgiving Dinner

By TOM MARQUARDT and PATRICK DARR

No matter how often you read our advice for pairing wine with the traditional Thanksgiving turkey – or any columnist’s advice, for that matter – the conclusion is the same: serve whatever you want.

The great attribute of turkey is that almost any wine works, except tannic wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s a neutral food that will pair well with pinot grigio and pinot noir. And, as far as the side dishes go, very little pushes your choice in a particular direction.

Having said that, we prefer chardonnay for the Thanksgiving dinner. First, a creamy chardonnay that has undergone a lot of malolactic fermentation does well with all that gravy you’re putting on the meat and potatoes. Second, it’s a versatile wine that marries well with any kind of dressing or side of vegetables. But no matter what you choose, don’t fret over the match. Do as we do and serve both red and white so that your guests can exercise their biases.

You may want to consider a welcome drink as people walk in the door. It could be as easy as sangria ladled from a bowl or a mixed drink, such as an Aperol spritz of prosecco, soda and Aperol. Aperol adds red to the glass and for that reason, we also like sparkling wine or champagne. Not only do they add that festive red to the atmosphere, but the bubbles make the occasion special.

Chardonnay comes in all prices. If you have a large crowd, you may want to look for less expensive versions. But, if your dinner will be intimate and small, we have some very special wines to make the feast memorable. And, remember to pour and drink responsibly. This is a time to be thankful for our health and safety.

Here are 10 chardonnays to feast your eyes on:

Talley Vineyards Rosemary’s Chardonnay 2022 ($75).  This is the wine Tom will be pouring for a table of four. Talley has an outstanding estate chardonnay that sells for a reasonable $38, but this reserve chardonnay from Arroyo Grande Valley is off-the-chart outstanding. The delicate aromas lure you into a cascade of white peach, citrus and coconut flavors. Its balance of acidity and flavor make it an exquisite match to turkey.

Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Chardonay 2022 ($75).  This iconic chardonnay from a venerable Napa Valley institution continues to amaze us with a pure, true-to-appellation chardonnay that exudes luxury. Green apple notes wrapped in a cloak of citrus, melon and ripe stone fruit and tantalizing hints of spice and almond.

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Karia Chardonnay Napa Valley 2022 ($36). With a lot of barrel fermentation and sur lies aging in French oak, this sumptuous chardonnay shows off a lot of oak-inspired flavors, making it a suitable match to the creaminess and butter of a holiday feast. Ripe mango and melon notes with a dash of spice.

Rombauer Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay 2023 ($42).  We recently spoke to winemaker Richie Allen, who told us the 2023 harvest was “exceptional with perfect weather.” Now employed by E. & J. Gallo, Allen has free rein to make the same chardonnay that put this producer on the map. This wine has broad flavors of stone fruit with a good dose of spice and oak.

Sonoma-Cutrer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2023 ($25). This reasonably priced chardonnay exudes smooth and luscious pear and golden delicious apple fruit flavors. The producer also makes a slightly more complex Russian River Ranches chardonnay ($31) with more citrus and mineral notes.

True Myth Edna Valley Chardonnay 2022 ($18). Ripe and rich pear and tropical fruit notes with a creamy finish and a dollop of oak.

Eleven Eleven Dutton Ranch Chardonnay 2022 ($65).  Dutton Ranch provides the grapes for many excellent chardonnays. The Eleven Eleven represents all that is good about this Russian River property.  The wine is exquisite with balanced acidity, just a touch of oak and pineapple, and stone fruit flavors.

Dolly California Chardonnay 2023 ($15). Dolly Parton is among the latest celebrities to put their name and fame behind a wine label. This one, made in partnership with Accolade wines, has some sweetness for those who like that style. But would you expect anything less than the darling of the country music scene? Stone fruit and cream notes.

William Hill Estate Winery California Chardonnay 2022 ($15).  We were pleasantly surprised by this tasty chardonnay that draws grapes from all over California as opposed to a single sub-appellation. For that reason, it’s inexpensive but not terroir-driven. Expect juicy apple notes with a dash of citrus and supple mouthfeel.

Black Stallion Estate Winery Napa Valley Chardonnay 2021 ($28). Ripe apple and tropical fruit flavors dominate this generous, textured Napa Valley chardonnay with oak notes.

White alternatives

We recently discovered two unusual white wines that make for an interesting diversion from chardonnay this Thanksgiving:

Bouchaine Alsatian Blend 2023 ($50).  We absolutely loved this blend of pinot gris, pinot blanc, riesling and Gewurztraminer that was made in a combination of concrete egg, clay amphora and neutral oak.  It has exotic, tropical flavors with a smooth mouthfeel and expressive aromas.  Congratulations to winemaker Chris Kajani for coming up with a unique white wine that would be excellent with the Thanksgiving feast.

Vintage Tunina Venezia Giulia Bianco 2022 ($85). We loved every drop of this exquisite Italian blend of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, ribolla gialla, malvasia and picolit. Produced by Jermann, it has a golden color with intense floral aromas. Well-balanced with a nice contrast between acidity and creaminess, it has broad fruit flavors and a long finish.

Non-alcoholic

Not everyone can or wants to drink alcoholic beverages during the holidays.  If you want something more than soda or water, many new products appear and even taste like wine but are void of alcohol.

We recently tasted several wines – packaged in cans – from JUKES, an invention of professional wine taster Matthew Jukes and done in collaboration with Champagne Billecart-Salmon.  All have the fizz of prosecco and resemble a fruit drink more than wine, but are nonetheless tasty. We’ve tasted many non-alcoholic “wines,” and this comes the closest to being enjoyable.

The base of these beverages is apple cider vinegar.

We liked JUKES 1 Sparkling White, a dry concoction focused on citrus, stone fruit and herbs, and JUKES 8, made of cucumber, pear, watermelon, raspberry and rhubarb.

They come in a 250-ml can. There are about 40 calories per serving – far less than an alcoholic beverage. A case of 12 cans cost $75.