Thanksgiving is the hardest meal of the year to pair with wine. Turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole and three kinds of pie all show up on the same plate. No single wine is perfect with all of it.
The good news: you don't need perfect. You need flexible. Here's Michael's approach.
The rule: high acid, low tannin, lots of fruit
Wines with bright acidity cut through butter and gravy. Low tannin keeps them from clashing with turkey and cranberry. Fruit plays nicely with sweet sides. Big, oaky, high-alcohol wines tend to bulldoze the meal.
The Thanksgiving lineup
Start with bubbles. Sparkling wine is the most food-friendly wine on the planet, and it makes arrival feel like an occasion. Prosecco, Cava or a sparkling rosé all work.
A white for the table: Riesling or Chenin Blanc. A hint of sweetness and lots of acidity handles sweet potatoes, stuffing and spice.
A red for the table: Pinot Noir or Beaujolais. Light, fruity and low in tannin. Beaujolais Nouveau even arrives in stores the week before Thanksgiving.
The crowd-pleaser: dry rosé. Goes with nearly everything and keeps the white-wine and red-wine camps happy.
With pie: something sweet. A late-harvest Riesling, tawny Port or Moscato d'Asti. The wine should be at least as sweet as the dessert.
How much wine to buy
Plan on about half a bottle per adult who drinks wine over a long holiday meal. For 12 wine drinkers, that's six bottles, and buy two extra so you don't run out.
Hosting tips
Put whites and sparkling in the fridge the night before; pull reds out of a warm kitchen.
Open a red and a white at once so guests can choose.
Don't overthink it. A wine you enjoy is better than a "perfect" pairing you don't.
Get Michael's actual bottles
We built a Thanksgiving guide on Sommelier on Demand with Michael's event-tested picks for the holiday table. Or ask your own question, like "Thanksgiving for 15, mostly red drinkers, $20 a bottle."
Hosting a Friendsgiving or a holiday get-together? Michael can turn it into a guided in-home tasting or a holiday party tasting.