Wine Box Experience - Joe Lewis

Thanks & Sips: Pairings to Grace a Grateful Table

Thanksgiving may be the one day of the year when stuffing, gravy boats, and cranberry sauce all jockey for top billing, but any true wine lover knows the real stars are in the glass. The key to pairing wine with a Thanksgiving feast is versatility. With such a sprawling spread of textures, flavors, and richness, wines that balance brightness with depth shine the brightest. Think juicy, medium-bodied reds like Pinot Noir or Gamay that play nicely with turkey’s lean meat and those herb-laced sides. On the white side, dry Riesling and Gewürztraminer bring aromatic lift and a touch of spice that complements roasted squash, buttery mashed potatoes, and everything in between. These are your classic crowd-pleaser wines that elevate without overwhelming. 

But this holiday is also ripe for exploration, so why not toss in a few unexpected scene-stealers? A chilled, earthy Cinsault from South America? A skin-contact Vermentino from Sardinia? Even a bubbly Lambrusco (that’s right, I said it) can cut through the richness of gravy and stuffing while adding a playful sparkle to the meal. The secret lies in understanding a few basic pairing principles: match weight with weight (light dishes with lighter wines, richer dishes with fuller-bodied options), contrast fatty or creamy foods with acidity to cleanse the palate, and complement dominant flavors (herbs, spices, sweetness) with wines that echo or balance those notes. These rules are helpful guides, but your palate is the ultimate judge.

Let’s move along this discussion to see what will be gracing your table this season with your monthly selections.

Let’s start this holiday festivities off right with the Dalrymple Chardonnay Estate Vineyard from Tasmania’s Coal River Valley. It’s a shining example of how elegance and vibrancy in white wine can elevate your Thanksgiving table. With its cool-climate pedigree, this Chardonnay brings bright acidity, crisp orchard fruit, and a whisper of citrus zest, along with subtle oak and a creamy, textured mid-palate. These attributes make it a textbook match for the rich, buttery side dishes that dominate the Thanksgiving spread like mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and roasted turkey. Its freshness cuts through the fat, while its roundness harmonizes with the meal’s weight, hitting the classic wine pairing principles of balance and contrast. Unexpected but versatile, this Tasmanian gem might just outshine the bird.

No proper dinner is complete without a second bottle of wine. The Saint Cosme Côte-Rôtie is a powerhouse with finesse. It’s an ideal Thanksgiving dinner guest for those seeking complexity without overwhelming the plate. Made entirely from Syrah grown on the steep slopes of the Northern Rhône, it offers a compelling blend of dark berry fruit, smoked meat, black pepper, and floral aromatics. Its elegance is in its balance. It matches beautifully with both the richness of roasted turkey and the earthiness of stuffing, mushrooms, and root vegetables. The savory-sweet interaction of cranberry sauce or caramelized squash finds an equal in the wine’s peppery undertones and silky texture. It endlessly checks off every box of great holiday pairing with every sip.

For your exclusive bonus wine we have the Papagiannakos Assyrtiko from Greece. This white wine delivers bright, mineral-driven punches well above its weight for Thanksgiving pairings. Hailing from the sun-drenched Attica region, this Assyrtiko brims with citrus, saline tension, and zesty acidity. Perfect for cutting through the rich holiday fare like honey-baked ham, gravy-drenched turkey, and roasted root vegetables. Its razor-sharp freshness acts as a palate cleanser between bites, while its subtle herbal and flinty undertones bring out savory and herbal notes in dishes like herb-laced stuffing or green bean casserole. This wine checks every pairing principle in the Thanksgiving playbook: it’s dry, high-acid, lightweight, and endlessly food-friendly. An unconventional but knockout addition to the feast.

So this Thanksgiving, let your wine list be as bountiful and daring as a cornucopia centerpiece. Whether you reach for the familiar or pour something a little whimsical and wild, remember that the best pairings aren’t just about flavor, but they’re about fun, discovery, and a bit of storytelling. After all, what’s more festive than passing a bottle around the table and saying, “You’ve got to try this wine with that dish”? To honor our native ancestors of this land of the free I’ll leave you with these words, To all our relations… past, present, and future. In gratitude and unity.