The leaves are falling, the air is crisp, and guests will soon be arriving for Thanksgiving dinner. Once the table is set, and the food is almost ready, the last step is choosing the bottle of wine that will adorn your dining table – but where do you start when there are so many great options? We have the perfect wines to complement your meal this Thanksgiving in our holiday wine guide.
Riesling
Rather than pairing each course with a single wine, select something versatile that will play well with a variety of courses. White varieties like Riesling complement a broad range of foods because of their lively acidity. Mosel Rieslings have a mineral edge because of the slate soils packed in the steep slopes of the vineyards along the river. Dry Rieslings pair wonderfully with sweet potatoes, turkey, and spiced or herb-filled stuffing.
Dr. Loosen GG Rieslings
The Dr. Loosen GG Rieslings are a great choice for your Thanksgiving table. These are the best dry wines from Grosse Lage vineyards, equivalent to ‘grand cru.’ Extended lees contact and maturation give the wine time to develop a harmonious balance, naturally.
Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer, like Riesling, is another wine your guests will surely be thankful for if served this holiday. Gewürztraminer has aromatic gusto and spicy palate appeal. It strongly stands alongside turkey and gravy and will bring out the best elements of both dishes.
Villa Wolf Gewürztraminer
The Villa Wolf Gewürztraminer is clean, fruity, and wonderfully light on its feet. It shows off the aromatic charm of the variety without being heavy or ponderous. It has a deliciously juicy texture and a delightfully delicate aroma of spice and fresh roses.
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is loved for its herbal flavors and mineral undertones matched with racy acidity which makes it a prime pairing candidate for turkey and mashed potatoes.
J. Christopher Sauvignon Blanc
With layers of exotic fruits and a seamlessly harmonious structure, the J. Christopher Über Sauvignon Blanc goes above and beyond the ordinary. It is fermented and matured in large (600-liter) acacia barrels, which add complexity and refined texture to its mineral-driven aromas and bracing acidity. A small portion is fermented in a concrete egg, which also adds depth and texture.
Pinot Gris
Flavors of garlic, onions, and herbs dominate the Thanksgiving table meaning your wine needs to withstand the demands of these bold flavors. Pinot Gris accentuates these ingredients and is a lovely choice for your meal.
Wittmann Estate Grauer Burgunder
The Wittmann Estate Grauer Burgunder (Pinot Gris in German) is harvested exclusively from sites in the Rheinhessen village of Westhofen that have limestone soil. It is fermented naturally in large, neutral oak casks, producing a richly creamy wine full of pear and nutty fruit flavors. Broad and round in texture, it retains an elegant tautness that is the signature of this excellent estate.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is the traditional red wine choice for Thanksgiving meals, for a good reason. Red fruit flavors mimic the tartness of cranberry sauce and match well with autumn spices such as clove, allspice, and cinnamon. Lighter tannins and moderate acidity in Pinot Noir pair perfectly with the texture and intensity of turkey—and don’t forget the gravy! The subtle earthiness in this wine complements the earthy, umami-rich flavor of gravy.
Maximin Grünhaus Pinot Noir
Following classic maceration and fermentation in open stainless steel tanks, the Pinot Noir spends 18 months in French and Austrian oak, as well as locally made barriques from the estate’s oak trees. To develop maximum complexity and structure, we use a combination of first, second, and third fill barrels. The result is a complex and elegant Pinot Noir that proudly expresses its kinship to the Grünhaus Rieslings.
J. Christopher Medici Vineyard Pinot Noir
The J. Christopher Medici Vineyard Pinot Noir is delicately nuanced and comes from one of the oldest vineyards in the Chehalem Mountains appellation. The oldest blocks were planted in 1976, producing lovely, distinctive Pinot Noir and Riesling fruit. The old vines bring complexity and layers of minerality, with less of an emphasis on overt fruitiness.
Villa Wolf Pinot Noir
The Villa Wolf Pinot Noir is warm and medium-bodied, with a firm acid structure. Its dark cherry fruit is juicy, ripe, and forward with a spicy mid-palate. Twelve months of aging in used barriques give the wine a smoky depth and a nice touch of earthy tannins.
Syrah
Syrah (or Shiraz in Australia) is a bolder grape than Pinot Noir and it can bring a spicy edge and almost meaty character to the table. It’s a more complex wine, but it plays nicely with the flavors at a traditional Thanksgiving meal. The prevalent peppery note of Syrah begs to be paired with herb-infused stuffing.
Jim Barry Lodge Hill Shiraz
The Jim Barry Lodge Hill Shiraz Vineyard, on Australia’s Clare Valley eastern ranges, has soils of rich, chocolatey loam over an almost vertical sheet of rock. The cracks between the rock have filled with soil, providing passage for the vine roots and free drainage – an ideal environment for low-yielding Shiraz wines.
Jim Barry The McRae Wood Shiraz
The Jim Barry McRae Wood Shiraz honors the vision of pioneer Clare Valley winemaker Jim Barry. In 1964, Jim purchased 70 acres of prime land from Duncan McRae Wood and planted his first vineyard with Shiraz. It was an inspired choice of both grape variety and location.
Jim Barry The Armagh Shiraz
The Armagh Shiraz has achieved extraordinary success since its first vintage in 1985. A truly iconic wine, it is internationally regarded as one of Australia’s greatest. The Armagh is a beautifully concentrated Shiraz that is celebrated for its vivid fruit, supple richness, fine structure, and exceptional aging potential.
Rosé
Rosé is one of the most versatile, food-friendly wines because it can be made from a variety of different grapes that each offer something different to the palate. Rosé that is delicate and refreshing and acts as a palate cleanser between courses lending itself to being a great choice for a balanced Thanksgiving meal.
Villa Wolf Pinot Noir Rosé
The Villa Wolf Pinto Noir Rosé is a true Rosé, made with a brief maceration before pressing to extract the lovely salmon color. It is light and refreshing with deliciously bright berry and fruit flavors and a clean, zippy finish.
Villa Wolf Pinot Noir Rosé Sparkling
The Sparkling edition of the Villa Wolf Pinot Noir Rosé reflects the fresh and balanced style that all Villa Wolf wines strive to achieve. This is a very enjoyable, invigorating Rosé Sekt that begs to be enjoyed with friends.
Sekt/Sparkling
No holiday meal is complete without bubbles! Sparkling wines bring elegance and food-pairing versatility to just about every meal. Not only do these wines provide a balancing dose of acidity, but they also add the holiday flair that every Thanksgiving table deserves. Salty dishes like turkey and stuffing are enlightened when paired with sparkling wine and the crisp effervescence cuts through the rich layers of the dessert course.
Dr. Loosen Riesling Sekt Extra Dry
Dr. Loosen celebrates the long history of sparkling wine in Germany with an extra dry Sekt made from 100% Riesling, which makes excellent sparkling wine because of its natural acidity. Produced with fruit from estate vineyards in the Middle Mosel, this bottle-fermented Sekt is brisk and refreshing with pure Riesling fruit and refreshing with pure Riesling fruit and crisp acidity.
Maximin Grünhaus Riesling Sekt Brut
100% healthy grapes were harvested in the Herrenberg vineyard and whole clusters were pressed with low pressure, then fermented in old Fuder casks to produce the Maximin Grünhaus Riesling Sekt. After racking and filtering the wine was taken to a local Sekt producer who handled the second fermentation in the bottle, maturation in the bottle, hand riddling, and disgorgement – the classic “Méthode champenoise.”
Robert Weil Riesling Sekt Brut
The fruit for the Robert Weil Riesling Sekt Brut is sourced from parcels neighboring the great Kiedrich Gräfenber Grosse Lage vineyard. It is produced using the traditional “Méthode champenoise,” with primary fermentation done in stainless steel tanks, followed by the second fermentation in the bottle. It is matured on the lees, in bottle, for 20 months before disgorgement.
Regardless of who sits at your Thanksgiving table and what food you’ll be serving, there’s a wine in our portfolio that is sure to complement your holiday. The team at Loosen Bros. USA wishes you and your family a wonderful start to the holiday season.
