While Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday, there’s no reason to stay stateside with your wine list. Wines from all over can find a seat at the table and be partners to the complex flavors and textures in your feast. Here are a few to consider.
WHITES
Attems “Cicinis” Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Collio DOC. Round and rich with deep yellow fruits and hazelnut skin. Not your typical “feline” Sauvy, this is round and seductive, tropical inflected and showing some white Burg village vibes.
Clos Solene “Hommage Blanc” 2022, Paso Robles. Borrowing from the Rhone, this is a blend driven by Roussanne (80%) with Viognier and Grenache Blanc comprising the rest. Aging for six months in oak (25%) gives this a very attractive full-bodied roundness. Rich, slick and well made.
Cormorant Vermentino 2023, El Dorado County. This producer is a new favorite find, and this round, lemony-compote white is another impressive bottling. Zesty, but not in a splashy, green in-your-face way. Understated in character and flavor. A versatile fall transitional wine that is also a star with lots of different textures and flavors.
Echolands “Albus” 2023, Walla Walla. This blend of 76% Sauvignon Blanc and 24% Sémillon from the Taggart Estate Vineyard has a shimmery golden hue, followed by a savory and herbal nose on the palate. This is waxy and full with a purity of ripe round yellow fruit, quince and lemon. Burg vibes, but more exotic.
Lagaria “Italian Style” Chardonnay Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT. I’d usually shy about from Chard for Thanksgiving but this is a stylish, light, transparent style that can play nice with everything on the table. Direct and linear fruit. Fresh as the mountains from which it comes.
Lange Twins Chenin Blanc “Merrill Vineyard” 2023, Clarksburg AVA. Apple all the way in this bright, fresh and modern style of Chenin from a sustainable farm. The three months in French and American oak gives this nice round tones without overwhelming the fruit character.
Muriel 2022 Blanco Rioja DOC. Apple first then an almost after taste in this medium-bodied wine with an herbal lift. Floral and fruity, showing balanced green apple and lemon. Good with green veggies, anything goat-cheese, pre-feast light apps. The sister rose is a very dry medium bodied sip with some oak influence, more herbal than fruit.
Ram’s Gate Carneros Pinot Blanc 2022, Estate Vineyard. This is a medium-bodied, rich wine with round tones of baked yellow apples, lemon compote and pear tart. Anise and other aromatic herbs give this a lift.
Simonsig Chenin Blanc 2023, South Africa. From a legacy estate founded in 1688, this is a reliable performer for any occasion and especially for a table laden with complex flavors, textures and characters.
REDS
Calera Ryan Vineyard Mt. Harlan Pinot Noir 2019. A bright and juicy raspberry sip from a high-elevation vineyard planted on limestone. A streak of minerality elevates this wine and keeps things lively while the smooth tannins provide pleasure on the palate.
Cormorant Gamay Noir, Zabala Vineyard 2023, Arroyo Seco, Monterey County. This is an incredibly well-balanced wine with fruit, acid and finesse and structure all in one place. Ripe red fruits but a good snap of acid keeps in from being too plush and flabby. Tart tension makes this attractive for complex dishes.
Conde Brandolini d’Adda Vistorta Merlot, Venezia Guila IGT. Juicy berries lead to an elegant and slightly meaty palate with red and black fruits, but at the same time, bright and not too concentrated. Twelve months in French oak, contributes to the smoothed out profile. From the same producer, a Pinot Grigio Ramato, Friuli IGT, is an oxidized style, similar in character to a light orange wine. Interesting counterpart to sweet and sour dishes on the table. Might not be to everyone’s taste—but neither is that weird uncle. This will definitely be a conversation starter.
David Bruce Pinot Noir Estate 2021, Santa Cruz. This mountain Pinot features crunchy red fruits such as raspberries, plum, pomegranate and dried cranberries, and an earthy hummus of forest floor, eucalyptus, pine needles and exotic aromatic wood.
Leda “Truffle Hunter” Barbera d’Asti DOC. Made by Bosio Winery and named for the producer’s dog, this dark-fruited wine is brightened with acidity and lifted by savory herbs. Smooth and modern, not chunky like some wines from this region can be, there’s a tinge of blood orange and iodine.
Manincor “Mason” Pinot Nero 2020, Alto Adige DOC. Northeast Italy’s answer to Pinot Noir, this one is balanced, fresh and clean with a concentrated raspberry-driven core.
Tenuta Sant’Antonio “Nafre” 2021, Valpolicella DOC. From the Famiglia Castagnedi, this smooth-as-silk medium-bodied red features lightly crunchy red fruits. A good swap out for Pinot Noir.
ROSES
Conde Valdemar Rose 2023 Rioja DOC. Coral pink-salmon in color, tart red strawberries shine in this medium-bodied rose. A little glycerol on the palate—that, along with the tart red fruits makes this an attractive partner with the notoriously hard to pair cranberry sauce.
Dr. Konstantine Frank Dry Rose of Saperavi 2023, Finger Lakes. This deeper-hued earthy-nosed wine made from a Georgian native grape shows raspberry and pomegranate fruits, some savory herbs and minty, mouth-watering acid. Nice partner for the balsamic-glazed Brussel sprouts.
Michel Reybier, Chateau La Mascaronne 2022, Côtes de Provence. Traditional blend of Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah and a bit of Rolle (Vermentino), from a modern, certified organic terroir-driven estate. More on the summer-fruited side, this is fresh, bright, and a good starter wine pre meal.
San Simeón Grenache Rose, El Pomar District 2023, Paso Robles. Light pink in color, this is a tropical fruited sipper for the pre-dinner cheese plate.
Tenuta de Fessina “Arse” Rose 2022, Etna DOC, Sicily. A blend of two native grapes, Nerello Mascalese and Cappuccio, this is an earthy and smoky, medium-bodied and textured rose with black cherries and pomegranate crunchiness from volcanic soils.