Cuts / Occasion

What to pour at Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving table is a pile-up of sweet, sour, salty, and rich — so the best wines are fresh and flexible, not big and impressive.

  • Thanksgiving
  • Mixed crowd
  • $15–30
The short answer

Pour a cru Beaujolais for the reds, a dry or off-dry Riesling for the whites, and open a Crémant when people arrive. All three have the acidity to handle gravy and cranberry, and none of them fight the food.

Cru Beaujolais

Gamay from the named villages of Beaujolais, France

Who it's for
Red drinkers, and people who say they “don’t really like red.”
Why it works
Bright red-berry fruit, low tannin, and fresh acidity. It flatters turkey and stuffing, and cranberry sauce makes it taste fruitier rather than thinner.
On the label
A village name: Morgon, Fleurie, Brouilly, Chiroubles, Moulin-à-Vent. Serve slightly cool.
Typical price
$18–30

Dry or off-dry Riesling

Germany, Alsace, Austria, New York's Finger Lakes, or Australia

Who it's for
White drinkers and anyone heading straight for the sweet potatoes.
Why it works
Riesling's high acidity cuts through butter and gravy, and a touch of sweetness handles spice, sweet sides, and the stray marshmallow.
On the label
Trocken means dry; Kabinett usually means lightly sweet. Finger Lakes and Clare Valley bottles are often dry.
Typical price
$15–28

Crémant

French sparkling wine made the same way as Champagne

Who it's for
The arrival toast, the appetizer crowd, and the host who deserves a glass.
Why it works
Bubbles and acidity reset your palate between very different bites — and Crémant gives you the Champagne method at a fraction of the price.
On the label
Crémant de Bourgogne, Crémant d'Alsace, or Crémant de Loire. Brut is the dry, all-purpose style.
Typical price
$18–28

Skip it

Big, oaky, high-tannin reds. Tannin makes lean white meat taste drier, and cranberry makes heavily oaked wine taste bitter.

Swap it

Want a bigger red? Try Zinfandel or an Oregon Pinot Noir. Hosting a crowd? Our party calculator tells you how many bottles to buy.

Updated November 14, 2026. We recommend styles, not sponsored bottles — any producer that fits the description will do. Prices are typical US retail ranges and vary by shop and state. Spotted something off? See our corrections policy.