Wine lover: For the perfect dinner, match wines with Thanksgiving fare

Thanksgiving is upon us, my friends. As a man who likes his food and certainly likes his wine, this turns out to be my favorite holiday.
How much more American could a holiday be? We are expected to do nothing more than gorge ourselves with turkey and mashed potatoes while we consume copious amounts of wine. But what wines should be served with a meal of such variety? Ah, there’s the rub.
The first thing I would suggest is champagne. This should be drunk throughout the entire day — before, during and after dinner. Like no other drink, champagne has the incredible ability to bring liveliness and cheerfulness to a party.
If you are going to mix it with orange juice, then any old sparkler will do. If you are going to enjoy it without mixture, I would suggest Roederer Estate, a fine, modestly priced California sparkler, or Veuve Clicquot, a moderately priced, very drinkable bottle of champagne.
The wine most likely to pair best with your meal will be pinot noir. Most Thanksgiving dinners consist of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce and maybe a couple of other sides. Pinot noir is an excellent pairing for the turkey (and most other less gamy poultry), as well as the cranberry sauce and stuffing. It works well with a lighter gravy, too.
If you would like to serve a white wine, as well, I would suggest something medium-bodied. A chardonnay with minimal oak would be an acceptable option.
If you are serving beef or pork, you will want a bigger red wine, like cabernet sauvignon or merlot, because most pinot noir flavors will be overpowered by the intensity of the meat.
Thanksgiving desserts are fairly various. We usually have pumpkin pie in my family, with a nice sauterne. Sauterne comes from Bordeaux and is made from sauvignon blanc and Semillon. For heavier desserts (like chocolate cake and ice cream), I would suggest a port or late-harvest zinfandel. If you are a dessert lover, make sure to have a dessert wine on hand. A regular dry red wine paired with a dessert loaded with sugar will be totally imbalanced.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving, my fellow wine lovers. Cheers!
Austin Twohig is a certified sommelier and partner in The Santa Cruz Experience, which conducts winery tours in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Contact him at [email protected].