Wine is such a wonderful highlight at any dinner table including the Thanksgiving dinner table. Little Black Dress Wines (LBD Wines) sent over a few bottles of wine for me to try so I may share my experience with you! Hopefully the below tips help you in choosing your Thanksgiving wines this year. While this post is sponsored all opinions are my own. To learn more about my posting policies regarding sponsored posts please visit my policies page. As always, thank you for reading more about the companies that help support this blog.
Most Important Rule for Wine Pairing
The number one first rule to think of when pairing wines is simple… pick a wine you LIKE! It doesn’t matter how many experts weight in to say that a certain bottle of wine will taste fabulous with your turkey and cranberry sauce, if you don’t like that particular style of wine it won’t taste good to you! I do like having at least two different options (ideally three) of wines that I feel will pair well with the meal so that my guests can choose a style that fits their tastes.
One of the things I like the most about the LBD wines that I tried is that they are all at an affordable price point (under $15 at my local store) and are fairly friendly to a variety of palates.
My favorite pairings for a traditional Thanksgiving meal
The traditional Thanksgiving meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and greens can get pretty heavy on the palate. When I choose my Thanksgiving wines I tend to look for wines that will not be heavy on the palate, so lighter in body, but not so light that it gets lost in all the bolder flavors of the gravy and stuffing. My three favorite wines for pairing with Thanksgiving meal are a Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and a Pinot Grigio.
Pinot Noir
I tend to love red wines, especially in the Fall, a Pinot Noir that is not too fruit-forward will pair nicely with both the turkey and a flavorful stuffing. It won’t overpower your mashed potatoes and will bring out some of the wonderful complex flavors of that pumpkin pie. The LBD Pinot Noir boasts “complex flavors of cherry and clove” and the finish has hints of pomegranate to it.
Chardonnay
If I decide to go with a white wine I tend to like a good Chardonnay. If you get a Chardonnay that isn’t too oaky with some good flavors of Fall fruit it will pair nicely with many of the flavors in a traditional Thanksgiving meal. The LBD Chardonnay has a accents of vanilla and oak that aren’t overpowering. The LBD website describes the wine as “fruit forward with flavors of apple and pear.”
Pinot Grigio
Finally, I like some spice on my Thanksgiving table. My favorite cranberry sauce is a jalapeno cranberry salsa with a medium heat to it. Pair that spicy cranberry sauce with some wonderful dark meat Turkey and a glass of a crisp and cool Pinot Grigio. The LBD Pinot Grigio boasts “aromas of apple, melon and lemongrass before a zesty tangerine finish.” The not-too-sweet and not-too-acidic wine really went nicely with the cranberry sauce!
Learn more about LBD Wines.
Need a cocktail recipe for this year’s Thanksgiving cocktail hour? See my Spiced Pear Cocktail that is easy to make in a batch!
