Wondering what wines pair best with your turkey dinner? Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner or simply enjoying a turkey sandwich, or turkey meatballs, these are the best turkey wine pairings.
Wondering what kind of wine goes well with turkey? I’ve got you covered! Just in time for the holiday season… So, you can find the perfect wine to compliment your Thanksgiving feast.
Here are some of my favorite turkey pairing options.
First thing’s first…
ℹ️ What Wine Goes with Turkey – Red or White?
The answer is – turkey pairs well with both! It depends on what type of wine you like, and the type of turkey that you’ll be enjoying.
For example, a smoked turkey is delicious with Pinot Noir. While a turkey prepared with a sweet glaze, is delicious paired with dry white wines like Pinot Gris or Chenin Blanc. Dark turkey meat is best with red wines. While white meat turkey is a perfect match for white grape varieties.
🍷 What Red Wine Goes Well With Turkey?
Red wine lovers have several options for pairing with their Thanksgiving turkey:
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is one of the most food-friendly red wines out there. This low tannin, fruity wine is delicate enough to not overpower the food that you’re eating it with and it makes a great match for the thanksgiving table. It’s particularly tasty paired with dark meat turkey with cranberry sauce, because Pinot Noir has an earthy quality to it and many have notes of cranberry.
Look for New Zealand Pinot Noir or a Pinot from the Willamette Valley. Other lighter reds like a beaujolais nouveau, GSM blend or Barbera work well here to.
Zinfandel
old vine zinfandel Zinfandel wine has fruity flavors, notes of black pepper, and a silky characteristic to it that helps to tone down the smoky flavors in a smoked turkey.
Rosé
Rosé wine has a good amount of acidity to it that stands up to rich dark meat turkey.
🥂 What Kind of White Wine Goes With Turkey?
Sparkling Wine
Look for affordable bottles like cava or prosecco. They’re fun wines that bring a feeling of fancy. It’s always a great thanksgiving wine.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a perfect choice for pairing with white meat turkey. Look for a California Chardonnay if you love that buttery, oaky flavor that’s delicious with mashed potatoes.
Chenin Blanc
Similar to chardonnay, Chenin Blanc has a bright acidity and notes of green apple that mingles really nicely with a turkey that has a fruit glaze. Another great option would be a full-bodied white wine like a white burgundy.
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc has a crisp acidity and bold citrus flavors that mingle really nicely with white meat turkey.
Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris (or Pinot Grigio) is a delicious wine paired with your thanksgiving meal. It’s a dry wine with a high acidity that cuts through the richness of the side dishes that are often served on thanksgiving day.
Dry Riesling
Dry Rieslings are an excellent choice for pairing with a wide variety of turkey dishes.
Sweet Wines
Sweet whites like White Zinfandel, Moscato, and Riesling work well with your holiday dinner and are a good option for serving with pumpkin pie or pecan pie.
🍴 What is traditionally served with turkey?
- I tend to serve my turkey with some mashed potatoes or duchess potatoes. On the side, I like to serve some herb-infused stuffing, glazed carrots, roasted brussels sprouts or a fennel & celery salad.
- But, the most important accompaniment (as always) is the wine!
Please feel free to take these wine pairings suggestions with a grain of salt. Enjoy what you like best! You can pair your Thanksgiving menu with a Cabernet Sauvignon if that’s what you enjoy. The only way to find out the very best pairing for yourself is to taste different wines, and experiment.
Did you try any of these Wine Pairings with Turkey?
If you tried any of these turkey wine pairings, I would love your feedback! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your pairing and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
For more great Platings and Pairings recipes and wine pairings, be sure to follow me on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and Facebook.
🍽 What to Serve with Turkey
✔️ More Wine Pairings Advice
- Wine Pairings for Pasta
- Wine Pairings for Steak
- Wine Pairings for Pork Chops
- Wine Pairings for BBQ
- Wine Pairings for Sushi
- Wine Pairings for Ham
The BEST Wine with Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 turkey breast (bone-in, about 4 pounds)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 Tbsp grainy mustard
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice + zest of 1 lemon
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup water
- 1 Tbsp butter
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the garlic, mustard, thyme, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice. Loosen the skin from the turkey breast and smear half of the mixture under the skin. Smear the remaining mixture on the outside of the turkey breast. Place in refrigerator, uncovered, overnight.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Place the turkey on a rack, in a roasting pan, and pour the wine and water into the bottom of the pan.
- Roast the turkey for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 degrees; and roast for an additional 45 minutes – 1 hour or until thermometer inserted into thickest part of the breast reaches 165 degrees. If the skin is over-browning, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil. When the turkey is done, add the butter to the pan, cover with foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the pan juices spooned over the turkey breast.
