The Best Wines for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is around the corner, officially kicking off the holiday season. We’re in a festive mood and wanted to share the best wines in our collection that would go well with a versatile Thanksgiving spread.

The big challenge here is: Can one wine pair well with the variety of textures and flavours in classic Thanksgiving dishes? Is it possible to have one drink from appetizers to desserts? 

The good news is: It is entirely up to you! Of course, we think it would be a bit more fun to have a variety of wines available, too.

1. Sparkling Wine

The most versatile wine drink for Thanksgiving (or any holiday dinner) would be a bottle of bubbly. Sparkling wines bring both elegance and exceptional food-pairing versatility to virtually any meal. They pair well with fried or salty fare, with turkey and dressing, and with many desserts, too.  The saying goes that “Champagne makes any meal a celebration.”

Ganymede recommendations:

Christina Methode Cap Classique Brut Vintage 2014
Valdo Prosecco Extra Dry DOC

2. Pinot Grigio

The Pinot Grigio is a white wine that is often light, crisp, and dry with plenty of mouth-watering acidity. Its aromas are often of lemon-lime, pear, and stone fruit like peach and apricot. You may also notice scents of almond, baking spices, or honeysuckle. It has medium to high acidity, keeping it from being too sweet. Pinot grigio often has a very smooth and almost silk-like texture. It pairs beautifully with flavourful high-fat dishes, capable of handling garlics and onions, making it a perfect go-to for Thanksgiving. 

Ganymede recommendations:

Angoris Del Fruilli Pinot Grigio
Goretti Pinot Grigio

3. Sauvignon Blanc

The primary fruit flavors of Sauvignon Blanc are lime, green apple, passion fruit and white peach. Its taste is very different from other white wines because of its green and herbaceous flavours like bell pepper, jalapeño, gooseberry and grass. These flavours come from aromatic compounds called pyrazines and are the secret to Sauvignon Blanc’s taste. This crisp white is a prime pairing candidate for turkey (or any white meat dish) and mashed potatoes. 

Ganymede recommendations:

Oakdene Jessica's Sauvignon Blanc
SOHO Stella Sauvignon Blanc

4. Pinot Noir

The Pinot Noir is traditionally a Thanksgiving favourite. In fact, it is the world’s most popular light-bodied red wine, loved for its red fruit, flower, and spice aromas, and long and smooth finish. A very versatile food pairing wine because of its high acidity and lower tannin, the Pinot Noir pairs well with turkey (and duck and chicken) and stuffing.

Ganymede recommendations:

Oakdene Peta's Pinot Noir
SOHO Havana Pinot Noir
Stoney Range Pinot Noir

5. Rosé

A bottle of rosé is a worthy alternative choice for Thanksgiving dinner. It is a perfect go-between wine, when you can’t decide on red or white. The primary flavours of rosé wine are red fruit, flowers, citrus, and melon, with a pleasant crunchy green flavor on the finish similar to celery. Rosés can pair wonderfully well with salads, white meat, and fruit tarts.

Ganymede recommendations:

SOHO Pink Sheep Rosé
Stoney Range Rosé