Drink American for Thanksgiving

by Durella DeGrasse

About this time of year, a big question on everyone's mind is: What wine should I serve with Thanksgiving dinner? Thanksgiving dinners are so varied that it's impossible to suggest a one-size-fits-all wine, but this is an American holiday so stick with American wine.

Start with a bubbly; this is a great way to begin a celebration and if anyone wants to keep drinking the sparkler, it will also be good with the dinner.

Here are three suggestions for reds to serve with that big meal:

• Cabernet Sauvignon is a wine whose flavors match well with the dinner. A good Cabernet has complexity and layers of interest, just like the big meal on the table. This is a wine that is itself part of American history. Open a classic cabernet which showcases the taste of big, ripe, proudly American grapes highlighting the winemaker's skill in creating a tight, textured, structured wine.


• Pinot Noir with a lively, medium body and red fruit will be a good addition to your Thanksgiving dinner.


• Zinfandel is a uniquely American wine with character, spice and stature.

If you want to serve white wine, look for one that is quite dry but bursting with fruit and has good acid - a dry Riesling, a Pinot Gris or a Chardonnay that is not heavily oaked.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Durella DeGrasse
Certified Wine Professional

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