The Ultimate Thanksgiving Wine Guide: Best Pairings for Turkey, Ham & Sides
Alexandra’s Well-Worn Thanksgiving Wine Guide
(For people who deserve better than the boxed stuff… but will drink it anyway.)
Choosing the best wine for Thanksgiving doesn’t need to feel like an honors-level exam. Whether you’re serving classic turkey, a salty holiday ham, a table full of veggies, or 47 side dishes held together by butter and prayer, this Thanksgiving wine guide breaks down the perfect pairings for every dish.
From White Burgundy and Chablis to Pinot Noir and Riesling, here’s what to pour for a delicious and slightly less chaotic holiday.
Best Wines If You’re Doing the Traditional Thanksgiving Turkey
Turkey is like that one cousin who’s perfectly fine but needs the right company to shine. Pair it with wines that won’t bully it.
Best Picks:
- Pinot Noir: The Thanksgiving MVP. Light, elegant, and endlessly patient—basically the opposite of your relatives. It will go with 90% of the food on your table.
- Beaujolais Village or Beaujolais Nouveau: Fruity, cheerful, and ready to party. Ideal if you need a wine that forgives overcooked turkey.
- American Chardonnay (Unoaked or Lightly Oaked): Smooth, warm, sometimes buttery. Great if you want approachable comfort—AKA the wine equivalent of a cable-knit blanket.
Avoid the “I taste like a lumber yard” heavily oaked ones unless you want your guests licking tree bark.
- White Burgundy: The elegant choice. It’s my official choice. Yes, it’s Chardonnay—but it’s French Chardonnay with structure, minerality, better balance, and self-esteem. Perfect with turkey, gravy, herbs, and your desire to feel just a little bougie on a Thursday afternoon.
It’s the friend who shows up with a hostess gift and actually means it. - Chablis: Technically also White Burgundy, but it’s the crisp, steely, mineral-driven version.
Think: green apple, seashells, cool climate vibes.
Perfect for turkey + lighter sides, or if your Thanksgiving involves someone lecturing the table about the terroir of Yukon Gold potatoes.
If You’re Having Thanksgiving Ham
Ham is salty, sweet, and needy. Kind of like you when the wine runs out.
Best Picks:
- Riesling (dry or off-dry): Its acidity + a touch of sweetness = ham harmony.
- Rosé: Surprisingly perfect, because rosé doesn’t believe in limiting itself to summer like some sort of amateur. Pairs well with those sticky glazes we pretend are “heritage recipes.”
If You’re Focusing on the Veggies
Look at you, pretending to be healthy on a national holiday dedicated to butter.
Best Picks:
- Sauvignon Blanc: Crisp and green—excellent for green beans, salads, or anything you only made because guilt is real.
- Pinot Grigio: Clean, refreshing, unobtrusive. The Italian Switzerland of wines.
- Gamay: Low tannins + bright fruit = little-known veggie whisperer.
If Your Plate Is Essentially Carbs With a Side of Carbs
Mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, stuffing… this is the real reason we celebrate.
Best Picks:
- Oaked Chardonnay: All that butter-on-butter energy? A buttery wine won’t judge you.
- Viognier: Slightly floral, slightly plush, very “I have depth and layers,” unlike your mashed potatoes.
- Sparkling Wine (Prosecco, Cava, or Champagne): Fatty foods LOVE bubbles. Also, bubbles improve your mood. This is science.*
(*Okay, “science.” But still.)
If You’re a Dessert Person (Just Be Honest)
Pumpkin pie, pecan pie, sweet potato pie, maple pecan brownies —basically sugar wearing autumn drag.
Best Picks:
- Moscato d’Asti: Sweet, fizzy, and flirty. A dessert charmer.
- Port: For when your dessert is “life is hard, and I need a liquid hug.”
- Late-Harvest Riesling: Like eating honey straight from a vineyard.
If You’re Hosting Complete Chaos
If your table includes turkey, ham, vegan lasagna, keto casserole, gluten-free stuffing, and a cousin who brought sushi “just in case,” then you need…
Best Overall Crowd-Pleasers:
- Sparkling Wine: Works with everything (including your nerves).
- Pinot Noir: Universal food pairing and universal emotional support.
- Dry Rosé: Versatile, unfussy, and pink—people love pink.
