During the holiday season – which is virtually upon us – I get asked frequently about what wines and other beverages are best to pair with holiday fare served at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. For starters, I don’t usually recommend striving for perfection; perfect food and drink matches aren’t as important as finding versatile beverages that can partner well with a wide variety of flavors and textures, from turkey, gravy, stuffing and spuds, to green beans, cranberries, roasted carrots and pumpkin pie. I think Thanksgiving and Christmas get-togethers should be relatively stress free occasions, not the time to obsess about perfect food and drink pairings.
I generally like to greet holiday guests with something festive like a glass of bubbly or a light, low-alcohol cocktail. For budgetary reasons, I’m probably not going to be popping corks on vintage French Champagne, when an inexpensive Spanish Cava, domestic American sparkling wine, or Italian Prosecco would kick off a holiday gathering nicely.
An inexpensive domestic sparkling wine such as Gruet Brut, Gruet Blanc de Blanc or Gruet Brut Rosé, which have a French heritage are is made in The Land of Enchantment, New Mexico, would be a good choice to greet guests with. A light and festive cocktail to serve would be the St-Germain Spritz. It’s a simple, refreshing and elegant low-alcohol cocktail made with 1½ ounces St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur, 2 ounces of dry sparkling wine, and two ounces of unflavored sparkling water.
I usually like to offer guests a choice of either red wine or white, or both, to sip with holiday dinners. Given that holiday dinners tend to feature loads of butter – buttery spuds, Butterball turkeys, buttery squash soup, etc. – I might opt for a bold and bright Chardonnay such as the opulent 2023 DAOU Reserve Old Vine Chardonnay, which comes from a special selection of old vines in Edna Valley. It’s a dazzling wine with fruity notes of pineapple, peach, apricot and melon, with graceful hints of vanilla.
Since I’m a big fan of DAOU wines, why not stick with DAOU for a red selection? Specifically, I would highly suggest 2022 DAOU Reserve Seventeen Forty. A modern expression of a Bordeaux-inspired blend, the 2022 DAOU Reserve Seventeen Forty is led by Cabernet Sauvignon and artfully balanced with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. Named for the centuries-old Spanish monastery bell that now hangs at DAOU Mountain, 2022 DAOU Reserve Seventeen Forty embodies the DAOU estate’s deep sense of heritage and craftsmanship.
Younger Pinot Noirs and full-bodied Merlots from family wineries such as Trefethen and Judd’s Hill are also good red wine options to pair with turkey, stuffing, gravy, and the like. An excellent Pinot Noir choice would be Judd’s Hill Reinke Vineyard Los Carneros Pinot Noir Napa Valley 2021. As winemaker Judd Finkelstein says about Pinot Noir, “A very challenging grape to grow, but an easy wine to drink!” That’s especially true of this versatile Pinot with black cherry flavors, which would pair beautifully with an herb-roasted turkey.
Looking for a holiday beverage pairing that’s a bit out of the traditional box? Utah’s own Dendric Estate Dry Cut Cider offers a crisp, sparkling alternative to traditional wine pairings at this year’s Thanksgiving and Christmas tables with their flagship cider, which is crushed, pressed, and bottled at 6,440 feet in the Wasatch Mountains.
Unlike traditional sparkling wines, Dry Cut’s lower alcohol and softer profile make it approachable throughout an entire meal. The cider’s bright acidity and fine bubbles help cut through heavier textures like gravy, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. Notes of green apple, citrus peel, and delicate tannins balance beautifully with roasted turkey, herb-forward sides like sage stuffing, and cranberry relish, while its apple-forward complexity makes it a natural match for root vegetables, caramelized onions, and sweet potatoes. Dry Cut’s clean finish refreshes the palate between bites, making it ideal for multi-course meals, including dessert, when the cider pairs well alongside apple tart, pear galette, or pumpkin pie without overwhelming their sweetness.
“This Thanksgiving, we hope Dry Cut can be part of your table, whether you’re sipping it on its own, pairing it with your favorite dishes, or mixing up a festive cocktail,” said Dendric Estate Founder Brendan Coyle. “With so many tastes and traditions at the holiday table, it’s a versatile cider that everyone can enjoy, no matter their palate.”
Those looking for an interesting non-alcoholic beverage to enjoy should consider non-alcoholic wines from the Provence winery in France, Château La Coste, makers of Nooh Sparkling Rosé, Still Rosé, and Sparkling White. After years of meticulous research and development, Château La Coste has refined the unique flavors and style that distinguish Nooh by La Coste from other offerings in the non-alcoholic category. Crafted from their renowned Rosé d’une Nuit organic cuvée, Nooh’s still and sparkling offerings maintain a light, refined profile—completely alcohol-free and with just 3.5 grams of residual sugar. The winemaking team employs state-of-the-art vacuum distillation at precisely controlled temperatures to remove alcohol while preserving the wine’s delicate aromatics. The terroir of Provence shines through, especially in the Rosé wines, where vibrant grapefruit and strawberry flavors intertwine with fragrant hints of lemon, jasmine, and red berries.
What about the pumpkin pie, you ask? Well, if you haven’t switched to coffee yet, I suggest selecting a wine that will serve to enhance the spicy flavors of desserts like pumpkin pie. I’d choose a Riesling or Gewürtztraminer, or perhaps a late harvest Gewürtztraminer or Ice Wine (aka Eiswein) to serve with sweeter desserts. One terrific choice to enjoy paired with dessert or to sip as dessert is Inniskillin Riesling Icewine. This sweet Riesling offers up lovely tropical aromas and citrus flavors with an elegant finish. It’s the perfect way to end a holiday meal.
