Wondering what wine to serve with Thanksgiving dinner? With turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce all sharing the table, choosing a wine can be tricky. We generally look for wines with refreshing acidity, moderate tannins and enough character to stand up to the different flavors. That might mean a white wine made from Trebbiano Abruzzese, a fruity Barbera, or even an orange wine. At Vero, we enjoy introducing you to lesser-known grapes and wines from small producers that bring something different to the Thanksgiving table.
Teeing Up for Holiday Dinners with Wine
With Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Years celebrations around the corner, where wine is often in the center of gift giving and meals, how does one decide which wine to buy for a gift when everyone’s taste is different? Need some tips on pairing wine and food?
Here is where you may want to rely on a wine expert to guide you. In fact, that’s why we’re writing this series of articles on wine tasting and pairing wine with food, just as you are fretting over what wines to buy for holiday dinners and for gifts.
This article is focused on choosing wines for Thanksgiving, whether you are hosting, or you are a guest or you want to gift a loved one with whom you cannot share this special day.
Other articles in the series are the art and science of how to pair wine and food, a guide to taste in food and wine, exploring and recognizing different flavors in wine, and understanding mouthfeel in wine and food.
Given that we all of different palates, there are no rights and wrongs when it comes to wine & food pairing. But some guidelines are still helpful, right?
Thanksgiving turkey with a red wine ready to enjoy.
How to Choose Wine for Thanksgiving Dinner
When it comes wine pairing for Thanksgiving dinner, two of the most important factors for pairing is acidity and tannins. You definitely want acidity but you don’t want too many tannins in your wine to pair with the meal. Just a quick note for novices: tannins, while they can be present in white (and orange) wines, they are more commonly present in red wines. While acidity is present in white and red wines, the levels of acidity tend to be higher in white wines.
Why acidity? It’s a necessary component to pairing foods. It allows the wine to cut through the flavor of the food and meld with it. Think of it as a knife. A knife is sharp and can be dangerous, but without a knife you cannot make most dishes.
Why not too many tannins? Ok, if you are a dark meat turkey person, having noticeable tannins in your wine is a good thing. The tannins create a drying, astrigent affect and with more fatty foods, like dark meat turkey, tannins cut the grease or oils in the food. But, with white meat turkey being most common around Thanksgiving tables, the white meat, if anything, needs to be moistened; after all, why do we put gravy on top of it? So, are you getting the picture? Lots of drying tannins in your wine will not go with white meat turkey, so we discourage a very tannic wine for turkey wine pairing. Sorry, cab and malbec lovers! But keep reading on - we have some alternatives for you to consider!
Also, you definitely want a quality sweet, or dessert, wine on your Thanksgiving table for when the desserts come out. And, very important, you want your sweet wines to have acidity. That’s what both cleanses your mouth when drinking it, not leaving a syrupy taste on the finish, and what makes it pair with food. Hint: most sweet wines you find everywhere, i.e., mass produced wines, lack acidity. The sweet wines we select, made artisanally by small producers, have great acidity. They are so good that wine drinkers that typically shun sweet wines will like them.
The last main aspect to consider when selecting wine for Thanksgiving, especially for white wines, is to choose white wine that has some body, weight or texture to stand up to the flavorful dishes around the dinner table. The white wine should have some oomph to it. A plain Jane white wine will get lost in midst of the colorful personalities of the flavorful dishes for Thanksgiving dinner.
Our Sommelier's Thanksgiving Wine Recommendations
So what to serve at Thanksgiving dinner?
Here are our best wine for Thanksgiving picks based on pairing foods guidelines. Believe us, it is not easy for us to narrow down to one for each type. Besides loving a wide range of wines, we carefully curate all of the wine we import and sell. But to help you select, here are the ones that we feel are standouts to have on your Thanksgiving table:
A white wine like Parella goes great with a Thanksgiving meal.
Best White Wines for Thanksgiving Turkey and Sides
As we mentioned, you want a white wine with acidity and that has some weight to it, where it has several dimensions, best if it has a combination of weight, texture, fruit.
If you are a natural wine lover, or will share Thanksgiving with one, try Febo’s Parella, made from the Trebbiano Abruzzese grape. Not to be confused with other Trebbiano grapes, Trebbiano Abruzzese has more going on, with great texture, acidity and minerality. Febo is a small family winegrower in Abruzzo taking great care to produce organic, biodynamic, natural wines from their vineyards which are in the family for generations.
Go even further south the the heel of Italy, in Puglia for a stainless steel aged white wine from Domus Hortae, Ti Esti. From the minutolo grape, it has a “spicy” characteristic that helps give it a flavorful and more intense palate that goes great with foods.
Lastly, we find that Vero Producer Zamichele, with their Lugana wines, made from Turbiana which is a noble grape, are up their with the best white Burgundies. When we imported in their wines, we have discovered that they are great alternatives for Chardonnay lovers, whether the unoaked Lugana, or their oaked Lugana Riserva equivalent. One key client of ours said “Zamichele makes the best Lugana white wine he ever tasted.” For Thanksgiving meal, we would recommend the oak aged version to stand up to some of the more flavorful dishes of Thanksgiving dinner.
Best Red Wines for Thanksgiving Dinner
As mentioned, we recommend red wines that have acidity and whose tannins are tamed.
A red grape with lots of acidity is Barbera, and you can select one of several we carry, like Aldo Clerico’s Barbera d’Alba, Ivaldi’s Barbera d’Asti or Nizza DOCG, or Case Corini’s Barla. It goes without saying that this wine will pair with many foods, not only at Thanksgiving.
When recently visiting a client who selects wine for a top Asian restaurant in New York city, she selected Vigna Petrussa’s Schioppettino di Prepotto. When asked why, she said because this red wine has great acidity yet lower tannins, which she looks for when pairing with Asian food. We agree with her, but also in line with Thanksgiving dishes, which, like Asian cuisine, has many different and accentuated flavors.
A Thanksgiving turkey, ready to enjoy.
Other great options for red wines with a meal come from the grape zweigelt. Check out this Zweigelt natural wine from its native Austria. Its a cool-climate grape that is brimming with juicy complexity and just begs for food to eat while you sip.
Another lower tannin red to have around your Thanksgiving table is a Saint Laurent wine. The Saint Laurent grape is a descendent from the pinot noir grape which has low tannins. Yet, compared to Pinot Noir, Saint Laurent has bolder fruit flavors which you actually would want to pair with the intense flavors of Thanksgiving side dishes.
Does Orange Wine Pair with Thanksgiving Dinner?
Orange wine, as many of you know, is made from white grapes in which the winemaker used extended skin contact, or maceration, which imparts more color, gives a white wine some tannins, and allowecs the aromas and flavor to become more intense and complex. It sounds like it could be a good type of wine for Thanksiving dinner, right? You betcha!
Our top recommendation for an orange wine to have at Thanksgiving is La Maliosa’s Saturnalia Bianco. When Vero Founder, Sheila Donohue, taught at the Culinary Institute of America, where they were tasting this wine, the class full of chefs all agreed, hands-down, that this is a wine for difficult food pairings. Meaning, it can pair with any food! With the wide array of types of dishes at Thanksgiving, this wine is a great choice to carry you through the entire meal.
Best Wines for Thanksgiving Desserts
As mentioned, we recommend seeking sweet (or dessert) wines that have acidity to balance out with the natural sugars in the wine.
We recently imported in Ivaldi’s Moscato d’Asti because it has great acidity, and, in fact, winemaker Andrea Ivaldi prefers slightly less residual sugar in his Moscato d’Asti to make it more balanced. This will probably be the best moscato you ever had, even for you who are not fans of sweet wine! Or go for strawberry and rose flavors with Ivaldi’s Brachetto d’Acqui. Almost like a red moscato, it is aromatic, sweet, slightly sparkling, and a pretty ruby color. We love it on it’s own, but we have discovered it actually makes a pretty awesome base for a wine cocktail!
We would be remiss not to mention Vigna Petrussa’s Picolit when talking about sweet wines. This is the best of the best sweet wines, which naturally is made with noble rot, putting it up there with the best dessert wines of the world, like Sauternes and Tokaji.
Don’t Forget the Olive Oil and Specialty Foods!
As Americans, we tend to reach for the rich pats of butter… but this year we here at Vero propose another alternative. Give EVOO a shot! Extra virgin olive oil is just as every bit packed with flavor as butter, but with polyphenols and antioxidants it is good for you too. There are several options available, from a Tuscan blend and a monocultivar, to other small production EVOOs from Abruzzo or Le Marche. All organic, try them all to find your favorite way to enjoy. Hint… we love it drizzled over turkey breast!
Add a crunchy kick as well with things like hazelnuts to your dish. Enjoy them as an aperitivo, or crush them up as garnish. Personally, we love this Hazelnut Pesto as a spread and sauce to add a nutty flavor to your mashed potatoes! Even better… try it as a spread on your sandwich with leftover turkey the day after.
Happy Thanksgiving from Vero!
Explore Our Thanksgiving Wine Picks
Curious to try something different this Thanksgiving?
We've brought together wines from small producers that offer a range of flavors for your holiday meal.
Explore our individual wine recommendations, or take a look at our sommelier-selected Thanksgiving wine set if you'd like a little variety around the table.
Go ahead and start browsing to buy or schedule a free chat with a sommelier to help you decide. If you work in the wine business, contact us today to get pricing and arrange a tasting appointment. You can also get a head start on your holiday gift giving with our Vero Gift Guide.
We sell our curated small production, farm to glass wines to both businesses and consumers across the US:
If you are a distributor reach out to us introduce our highly curated portfolio of one of a kind small production wines to your state.
We sell to wine stores and restaurants in certain states - contact us to learn more.
If our farm crafted natural wines and olive oils are not in your local shop or restaurant, buy wine online here, and we’ll ship it to you, including wine gifts.
We also have an award winning wine club for true wine explorers that are seeking to continually discover unique, sustainable and authentic small production wines they never had. These are wines selected by our sommeliers and curated for each box.
We do corporate gifts and sommelier guided wine tastings. Email us and we’ll tailor unique and sustainable corporate gift ideas.
Wines to Pair on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving wines to please everyone around the table, shipping included is in our Thanksgiving pairing set. Our sommelier selected 4 pack has an aromatic white wine from the Czech Republic, a woman crafted natural red wine, a delightfully fruity and spicy Austrian red wine, and lastly a bubbly sweet wine to finish off your evening. All of these wines are made with passion and sustainably by artisanal producers, a wonderful way to celebrate Thanksgiving with loved ones and friends. Makes a great as a host gift too!
This set will accompany you and your family and guests throughout the meal. Shipping is included (in the Continental US) so add on any other wine and an extra virgin olive oil for free shipping.
Included in this box are:
An organic & vegan natural wine made from 100% trebbiano abruzzese, a white wine grape which the New York Times cites a grape “worth knowing better”. It has an inviting straw yellow color and an exotic nose (look for the saffron!) and an intriguing fruity and herbal taste.
This white wine is age-worthy too! Fermented and refined in grandfather Febo’s concrete vessels.
Region: Italy > Abruzzo > Chieti
Tastes Like: Peaches and Saffron
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Winery | Biodynamic | Native Yeast Fermentation | Vegan | Single vineyard | Old Vine | Organic | Natural Wine
Fun Facts: This wine is named from the single vineyard from which it comes, Parella in Chieti.
Ti estì means in the local Greek dialect 'what is this?' which gives you a clue about this wine. It is a monovarietal made by the Minutolo grape, which is an aromatic white grape grown in Puglia, Southern Italy, since 1200. Despite it being made in stainless steel, 'spicy' is a word to describe this white wine. The bouquet is intriguing, with white flowers, lemon and citrus candy and a hint of herbs. On the palette, tropical fruit flavors stand out, like lychee and banana.
Expand your horizons with this Italian wine made for Chardonnay lovers looking for an alternative. From Lake Garda, one of the Northern Italian lakes, this sustainably farmed white wine is a balancing act of acidity and fruit that pleasantly plays into a long finish. Plus it is super tasty. If you close your eyes and taste this wine, it is likened to having an apple crumb cake as a white wine. You initially get golden apple and then vanilla and spice.
Acidity and fruit harmonically combine with a salty minerality producing a sweet and salty taste sensation. Fruit bursts forth and taste envelopes the mouth, with some tropical fruit on the long finish.
This Lugana is an ageworthy oaked white wine, equivalent to a Lugana Riserva, made from the noble and native Italian grape, Turbiana, a grape which is likened to Verdicchio.
Overall pleasant and sippable yet complex, this is a great wine for California Chardonnay lovers looking for a change to surprise and delight them with a new white wine italian style.
A really good, soft and fleshy Barbera from Alba, from a single vineyard located in the Barolo designated wine region, one of the best areas for Barbera. Nice acidity and fruitiness with some spice, thanks to 14-16 month aging in new and used oak.
A very balanced and elegant wine on the nose, and a good body and structure on the palate with a pleasant and vibrant acidity. A rounded wine with fresh yet fruity notes that finish with a creamy texture thanks to the oak barrel aging.
Do you want to regularly purchase this wine? Check out the Subscribe and Save option available HERE!
Tastes Like: Pretty, ripe, dark cherries
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Biodynamic | Native Yeast Fermentation | Single Vineyard
Fun Facts: With its aging, this Barbera d’Alba technically follows guidelines for a Barbera d’Alba Superiore, but winemaker Aldo Clerico decides to declassify it.
The organic and biodynamically farmed fruit was handpicked from estate hillside vineyards 400 meters above sea level in Sausal. Soils are red schist and loam. The wine underwent native yeast fermentation. After 25 days of maceration on the skins, the wine aged in a combination of stainless-steel tanks and oak barrels with very minimal sulfites added.
The first sniff of this quaffable Zweigelt natural wine is amarena cherries which then leads to vanilla and spice. In the mouth it is fresh with fruit that hides behind the structure and chalky tannins. It has nice texture and a medium slightly bitter finish. It is easy drinking and pairs great with hamburgers.
Wonderfully juicy dark fruits are melded in this wine with bright acidity for a delightful sipper. Serve it slightly chilled for an even more refreshing version than the oaked version of Saint Laurent.
From a winery called “Best in the Czech Republic” for multiple years in a row, this wine is farmed organically in a local national park.
Tastes Like: Concord grape juice
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Winery | Organic
Fun Facts: The deer on the label represents an animal found naturally in the national park where these grapes are farmed.
Prepotto is the birthplace of the hard-to-find Schioppettino varietal. It gets its name from the Italian 'schioppare' or to burst, since the grape 'bursts' in your mouth when you eat it. Aromas and tastes of black pepper and plums. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for two to two and a half years in oak barriques. Strong cheese lovers love to indulge in this wine.
Gold Medal Decanter, plus many other awards. Vigna Petrussa's oak-aged 2019 Schioppettino won the prestigious 3 Bicchieri Award by Gambero Rosso.
Vigna Petrussa is a certified sustainable and biodiverse women-owned winery.
Woman made Saturnalia Bianco, on VinePair’s list of Top 15 Best Orange Wines, is an award winning, unfiltered and delicious skin contact orange wine made from old vine procanico & trebbiano grapes cultivated in volcanic soil.
This natural wine is made from the patented Metodo Corino, based on regenerative farming principles. Nothing is added but grapes! Made with unpressed, free run juice with native yeast fermentation. A two week maceration imparts a dark amber color. Aged only in stainless steel tanks, it has aromas of candied fruit, dried apricot and ginger.
It has pleasant acidity and tannins, and is balanced with a long finish. A pretty deep orange color, it is a great wine for difficult food pairings, it pairs with almost any dish.
Tastes Like: Apricot nectar and chamomile
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Winery | Biodynamic | Native Yeast Fermentation | Vegan | No additives (ie non sulphites added) | Unfiltered | Organic | Metodo Corino | Natural Wine
Fun Facts: - The natural farming method that produced this wine, the metodo corino, is actually patented by La Maliosa woman winemaker Antonella Manuli after she helped to develop it with natural wine legend Lorenzo Corino of Case Corini.
- Named in honor of the Roman festival in December which took place near the winery, La Maliosa, this wine was once called Saturnia Bianco.
Who doesn’t like chamomile and honey? That’s what this wine reminds you of! It’s a Moscato d’Asti that appeals both to sweet wine lovers and dry wine drinkers wanting a moment with a touch of sweetness.
The name of this wine, Ros du Su, means ‘Rays of Sunlight’ in Piemontese dialect where this Moscato d’Asti comes from. Looking at its bright, golden-yellow color, it is easy to understand the inspiration for this name.
In the glass, the aromatic qualities of moscato are the first noticeable aromas, but underneath subtle and persistent notes of honey and acacia and chamomile flowers come forth creating a complex bouquet. Tasting, the sweetness of the residual sugars are well balanced with freshness and sapidity. A pleasant wine that keeps you sipping, it pairs well with desserts, but is every bit as enjoyable alone in contemplation.
A certified sustainable winery, Ivaldi practices regenerative farming.
“Can we make Brachetto popular, please?” is how VinePair headlines why this artisanal, aromatic red sweet sparkling wine, just recently imported by us first time to the USA, made it to VinePair’s list of 13 Best Sweet Wines.
An aromatic grape, brachetto, creates a pleasantly slightly sparkling sweet red wine, with delicate rose flower and strawberry notes and strawberry and hibiscus taste. ‘Susbel’, in the local Piemontese dialect of Ivaldi in the Monferrato, refers to the location of the vineyard of this Brachetto d’Acqui, where the sun is bright and well exposed.
Left four days in contact with the skins and fermented with native yeast, this natural wine has a bright and clear light red color, dotted with fine effervescent bubbles. Sipping, the immediate impact is indeed sweet, yet with enough acidity and a hint of tannins to create a harmonious and balanced wine that keeps you coming back for more.
Wonderful to serve slightly chilled to sip with friends in the backyard on a hot summer day, or to serve with fruity desserts. Try pairing it with white or milk chocolate or a savory cheese, like with Humboldt Fog goat cheese - it goes incredibly well. It can also pair with charcuterie. Made with native yeast fermentation and has a residual sugar of 120 g/l.
A certified sustainable winery, Ivaldi Dario practices regenerative farming.
“Run, don’t walk to find and grab this bottle. It is a prime example of the harmony and complexity this style of wine is capable of expressing” is how VinePair describes this wine in their list of 13 of the Best Sweet Wines.
Fruity, spicy and balanced, this multiple award winning women-made dessert wine, Picolit, is the rarest and most treasured varietal in Friuli, the extreme North East of Italy.
It is made from hand-picked and air-dried picolit grapes that went through noble rot, as with the best dessert wines in the world. Fermented and then aged for 18 months in french oak barrique. Only 1200 bottles were made, and we have the last few available so be quick to grab this meditation wine to sip and savor.
Vigna Petrussa is a certified sustainable and biodiverse women-owned winery.
From the hills of Abruzzo near the Adriatic Coast of Italy, comes this Organic EVOO, or Extra Virgin Olive Oil, farmed and made by the Febo family. Farmed sustainably and organic, this natural extra virgin olive oil is also vegan and, like all evoos, a first run - cold press olive oil, the best kind of olive oil for you.
The 2024 harvest is still made from a blend of olives like leccino and 500 year old trees, but now it is mostly the dritta cultivar.
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Farming | Biodynamic | Vegan | No additives | Unfiltered | Organic
Fun Facts: The dritta cultivar is a rare one being saved by Davide Febo who is trying to save and rehabilitate it.
This is a woman made, limited production first cold press organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the Maremma hills of Tuscany made from a blend of four Tuscan cultivars. Buttery deliciousness with a bitter kick at the end, thanks to its polyphenols. It has won gold medals in a competition which judges the best extra virgin organic olive oils from around the world.
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Farming | Biodynamic | Vegan | No additives | Unfiltered | Organic | Metodo Corino
Fun Facts: The natural farming method that produced this extra virgin olive oil, the metodo corino, is actually patented by La Maliosa woman winemaker Antonella Manuli after she helped to develop it with natural wine legend Lorenzo Corino of Case Corini.
A prestigious first cold press monocultivar organic extra virgin olive oil from the Maremma hils of Tuscany which has won best organic extra virgin olive oil from Tuscany! Its polyphenols which are used to determine how good an olive oil is, are exceptionally high!
Top awards include extra gold, as best Tuscan organic EVOO by Biol Novello which evaluates the best olive oils in the world. In the past this olive oil has also won Best in Italy, as well as Gambero Rosso 3 leaves (their highest rating).
Its aromas of grass, green pepper and mint lead to an intense hot pepper taste and a long finish with black pepper lingering in your mouth. Even just a little drizzled over a simple lettuce salad will bring it to life with flavor.
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Farming | Biodynamic | Vegan | No additives | Unfiltered | Organic | Metodo Corino
Fun Facts: The natural farming method that produced this extra virgin olive oil, the metodo corino, is actually patented by La Maliosa woman winemaker Antonella Manuli after she helped to develop it with natural wine legend Lorenzo Corino of Case Corini.
This is an olive oil, super food for super foodies. This is small production organic & vegan extra virgin olive oil made primarily from a rare local cultivar from the area of Macerata Italy called Piantone de Mogliano. The buttery flavors and taste of this organic EVOO so inspired the family behind Quercia Scarlatta farm and winery in Le Marche Italy to name it ‘our gold’, or Il Nostro Oro.
Hand harvested and milled at the family’s farm, a first run, cold press evoo, this olive oil’s aromas remind you of stepping into a garden full of fresh green beans with a whiff of black pepper. Likewise, tasting it is like having fresh green beans with black pepper and butter, thanks to its buttery texture. Black pepper continues on the finish.
This organic extra virgin olive oil comes in a 3 liter container, made for following the Mediterranean diet to a tee!
Simplicity at its best: nuts and nothing else! Woman artisan farmer Silvia Martini cares for her trees to ensure that her hazelnuts are healthy, delicious, and wonderful enjoyed simply with little flair. These hazelnuts, hand selected by Silvia from her harvest are toasted and packed under vacuum to maintain their freshness.
How We Enjoy This Food: Enjoy them on their own as a healthy snack, crushed as a garnish for a savory roast, and baked into sweet cookies.
Farming Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Farming | Biodynamic | Vegan | No Additives | Organic | Gluten Free
Fun Facts: These hazelnuts are certified IGP (or indicazione geografica protetta, a protected geographic indication) from the Langhe. That means they are protected by law as special.
Simple three ingredients: hazelnuts, salt, and pepper, yet packed so full of flavor! This is a great all-purpose sauce to keep in your kitchen, as an alternative to your usual pesto as a pasta sauce, but more, like add it to your favorite salad. This truly tastes like you are eating salted hazelnuts, just in a creamy, pesto form. Made in the shop of woman artisan farmer Silvia Martini.
How We Enjoy This Food: As a pasta sauce, especially with Hazelnut Flour Pasta
Farming Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Farming | Biodynamic | Vegan | No Additives | Organic | Gluten Free
Fun Facts: Try this as your next sandwich spread instead of mayonnaise.