Wines recommended this week for Thanksgiving. (Photo by Ken Ross)

When it comes to eating and drinking, few American holidays come close to Thanksgiving.

Perhaps picnics on the Fourth of July?

Maybe Christmas or New Year’s Eve?

Sorry, but Thanksgiving is the Super Bowl of holiday feasts.

That’s probably why I’ve often been asked the same question many times over the years.

What wines go best with Thanksgiving dinner?

It’s a great question.

If you’re going to all this effort to make an elaborate feast, it makes sense that you want to have great wine with your meal.

It’s also probably the reason why you can find numerous articles this time of year about which wines are the “best” Thanksgiving wines.

It’s interesting to read these articles. Because right away, one thing becomes perfectly clear.

No one seems to agree on which wines are perfect for Thanksgiving.

Some recommend pinot noir.

Others recommend chardonnay or anything but chardonnay, including sauvignon blanc, cabernet franc or melot.

There’s even a school of thought that you should serve low-alcohol wines, sparkling wines or rose wine.

Starting to get the picture?

There’s no “perfect” wine for Thanksgiving.

Practically any wine goes great with this massive, multi-course meal.

So most years that I have written this weekly wine column for the past 11 years, I have done my best to try to offer a few Thanksgiving wine suggestions.

In the past, I have written about different wines ideal for Thanksgiving dinner, including a wide range of red, white and sparkling wines, including wines for leftovers.

Another year, I wrote about 5 classic Thanksgiving white wines and 5 classic Thanksgiving red wines.

I’ve even written about which Thanksgiving wines you might like based on your favorite Thanksgiving movie. (Like “Planes, Trains and Automobiles”? Try an Australian Shiraz since “you clearly have a great sense of humor and love oddball comedies.”)

This year, I decided to take a slightly different approach.

This year’s Thanksgiving wine column features five American wines for under $20 a bottle. The wines include one sparkling wine, two whites and two reds. The whites feature a chardonnay (the most popular white wine grape in the country) and another white wine. The reds feature a cabernet sauvignon (the most popular red wine grape in America) and another red wine.

I also included a slightly more expensive bonus wine for dessert as well.

Hope you enjoy.

SPARKLING WINE

Mumm Napa Brut Prestige ($19.99 at Table & Vine in West Springfield)

California winery founded by Champagne house of G. H. Mumm in the 1970s, this crisp, refreshing, dry sparkling wine has a beautiful, clean finish with hints of citrus and vanilla. If you love really dry wines, get this beautiful “brut” for your Thanksgiving feast.

CHARDONNAY

2021 Sonoma-Cutrer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ($19.99 at Table & Vine)

I know many people unfairly either love or hate chardonnay. Hopefully, this delicious wine from California’s Sonoma County will change a few minds. Flavors here include hints of straw, roasted almonds, honeydew melon and green apple, which all go great with turkey.

ANOTHER WHITE WINE

2021 Justin Sauvignon Blanc ($18.99 at Table & Vine)

One of my favorite California wineries, Justin’s sauvignon blanc has a wonderful blend of soft, understated flavors, including hints of ripe green apple mixed with a slight, subtle tartness and a dash of sea salt. A great lighter wine for a traditionally heavy meal.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

2021 Duckhorn Vineyards Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon ($17.99 at Table & Vine) or 2021 Bread & Butter Cabernet Sauvignon ($16 Suggested Retail Price)

I’m recommending two California cabernet sauvignon since everyone has different tastes. The Decoy is on the drier side and was featured a few weeks ago in my article about cabernet sauvignon wines from around the world. The second wine’s perfect for people with a sweet tooth – dashes of cherry, milk chocolate and, no kidding, bubblegum.

ANOTHER RED WINE

2019 Duckhorn Decoy Merlot ($17.99 at Table & Vine)

Tasting Notes – I don’t normally recommend two wines from the same winery in these roundups, but this outstanding wine deserves the spotlight. Here, the flavors are soft, subtle, and muted and include hints of plums and blackberries. Let me add this wine still tastes great several days after first opening the bottle – perfect for Thanksgiving leftovers.

BONUS WINE – DESSERT WINE

2014 Dutcher Crossing Dry Creek Valley Port ($35 SRP 375 ML Bottle)

Portugal might be best known for port. However, wineries in many other places make this distinct dessert wine, including this one from California. This black licorice-like port made with zinfandel grapes has a slightly spicy and nutty finish that’s perfect for sipping and lingering around the dining room table after a rich, hearty holiday feast.

Cheers!

Wine Press by

Ken Ross

appears on

Masslive.com

every Monday and in The Republican’s Weekend section every Thursday.

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