If your plan for this year’s Thanksgiving feast involves uncorking a bottle of red, it’s a good idea to make sure your dinner menu selection is fully compatible with your red wine for Thanksgiving.
Good Red Wine for Thanksgiving
Many people don’t realize the importance of pairing the best wine for roast turkey or other showcased entrées at your Thanksgiving gathering – or even that you can serve red wine on Thanksgiving at all. Luckily, you can buy wine online to take one thing off your bloated list when going to the grocery store.
If this is your first foray into serving a wine-inclusive Thanksgiving dinner, it’s best to stick to the lighter reds. Those wines have moderate acidity levels, meaning they’ll help to cut through the rich and heavy other items on the evening’s menu.
Red Wine for Thanksgiving Dinner
Pinot Noir
When you’re deciding on the perfect red wine for Thanksgiving dinner, you can’t go wrong with Pinot noir. This traditional red is still a big Thanksgiving favorite.
Zinfandel
With zinfandel, you get a full-body that’s a bit more intense than other red selections. This may serve to balance many of the side dishes you’ll be enjoying with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
Best Red Wine for Thanksgiving
Beaujolais
This is a highly fruity option that also includes subtle earthy tones with notes of minerals. Beaujolais comes from the Gamay grape, which is highly fresh and fairly low in tannins.
Syrah
Those in Australia may know this wine as Shiraz. No matter what you call it, Syrah has a traditional spice to it as well as a black pepper element that wakes up your palate for the feast to come. It’s important to remember that the older the syrah is, the fruitier and potentially smokier it will become.
Red Wine for Thanksgiving to AVOID
Generally, you’ll want to steer clear of cabernet for your Thanksgiving dinner. This usually tastes too tart because of its higher tannins than other reds. Tannins are the aspect of a wine that makes your tongue feel dry, which generally doesn’t complement the meal that’s on the table.
Food and Wine Thanksgiving Recipes: Popular Sides
Some favorite sides that go great with any of these red wine selections include Brussel sprouts with cranberries, mashed potatoes with manchego, macaroni and cheese with buttery crumbs, acorn squash with escarole salad. With any of these sides on your plate, you can’t go wrong with a glass of red wine in your hand to go with them.
Good Red Wine for Thanksgiving Dinner
You can take your Thanksgiving game to the next level by finding the perfect wine to complement the feast. Your guests will indeed thank you, the conversation is guaranteed to be interesting, and the food you worked so hard to prepare will taste all the better.