Turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce may be the holy trinity of food for everyone’s favorite fall holiday, but no Thanksgiving table is complete without vino. Traditionally, the poultry-centric meal is served with reds like French Beaujolais Nouveau or pinot noir and whites like chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. These wines may be traditional, but no offense, they don’t feel very fun for a holiday. Bringing the unexpected to the table can infuse the annual occasion with some pizzazz.
First, it’s essential to understand what makes wine a nontraditional choice that still goes well with the meal. Is it the grapes? The region it’s from? The varietal? Flavor profile? Good PR? According to Sean Friel, wine director and sommelier at Mother Wolf in Los Angeles, it’s a combination of all of the above. To concoct nontraditional yet tasty Thanksgiving wine pairings, Friel emphasizes a playful attitude in addition to exploring wines and grapes from different regions of the world, aka not France, to “create some fantastic food and wine interactions.”
Whether you’re a wine aficionado who enjoys savoring a festive fermented beverage with your meal or need a few sips to take the edge off some intense family time, Friel shares his nontraditional wine picks to leave you feeling a cornucopia of gratitude.
Reds
Schioppettino
Friel touts Schioppettino as his “favorite” wine to serve on Turkey Day. The varietal from Friuli, Italy, is his “go-to for poultry,” which he encourages serving with the Thanksgiving protein of your choosing. But it’s also versatile. “[Schioppettino’s] gentle and delicate notes make it a surprisingly unexpected choice for fatty foods — such as ham or Yorkshire pudding.”
The sommelier explains that the beauty of the wine is in its qualities, which are atypical to a red. “It’s considerably dark in color, rich and smooth, while still possessing elegance rather than the weighty character more commonly associated with similar wines,” he says. Though Schioppettino is a more exotic choice for the food-focused holiday, it’s definitely a crowd-pleaser. Friel says the smooth wine, which boasts herbal and earthy notes, is easy to drink due to its lack of pronounced tannins.
Chinon
Friel says Chinon, made from Cabernet Franc grapes, is a worthy alternative to Thanksgiving staple Beaujolais Nouveau. That said, he warns novice drinkers who see “cabernet” on the label not to assume it’s like cabernet sauvignon. “[Chinon is] nontraditional in the sense that it’s a red that has the personality of a white: it’s light in color, carries very little viscosity, and has a bright acidity reminiscent of white wines,” he explains.
When to serve this “translucent,” “striking ruby-red” varietal during the Thanksgiving feast is at your discretion. It pairs well with dishes that aren’t heavy but is also the ultimate multitasker thanks to its light body, which enables it to be served and savored throughout the entire meal.
Whites
Greco di Tufo
“Greco is one of the most unsung grapes of the world and may be one of the greatest grapes yet to receive wide recognition,” Friel muses of the Italian gem from the Campania region. Because of this, he says it can be paired with almost anything. “While I always have great success pairing it with meats, it will also harmonize perfectly with lighter fare earlier in the meal,” he advises. This is thanks to its rich minerality and notes of subtle green apple and sometimes mango.
Loureiro
No one will be upset if this Portuguese wine settles on your festive table. Behold Loureiro, a wine of many expressions, some drier and some slightly sweet. “Both styles are great for a wealth of Thanksgiving foods, especially turkey, which, for me, is amongst the most difficult foods to make interesting,” Friel mentions.
He describes Loureiro’s drier expressions as “very lean,” which means the acidity is not “razor sharp.” This makes it easy to drink alone or with food. This wine will be a hit with friends and family who usually go for sauvignon blancs like Pouilly Fume and Sancerre.
As for the off-dry expressions — aka the ones with slightly higher sugar content — Friel calls them addictive when consumed with Thanksgiving Day staples with a touch of sweetness like sweet potatoes or Brussels sprouts with sage.
Orange/Rosé and Sparkling
Ramato Pinot Grigio
This year’s Thanksgiving table should include the three “Cs”: cranberry sauce, cornbread, and copper wine. “Ramato” is the Italian word for copper and is the name for this sort of orange and rosé hybrid, a unique varietal that stands on its own. Friel encourages enjoying copper wine, Ramato Pinot Grigio, “with lighter fare earlier in the meal.”
He explains that this varietal differs from the pinot grigio most of us are used to: “Most people don’t realize that ‘grigio’ means ‘grey.’ Pink and red grapes are often referred to as ‘black’ in the Old World.” He continues, “Pinot grigio is a genetic accident that makes them halfway between black and white, therefore ‘grigio.’ When the wine is made in the way red wine is made, a ‘copper’ wine is produced.”
In terms of its characteristics, he says Ramato Pinot Grigio usually has a pomegranate aroma on the nose but can also include floral notes or stone fruit, depending on the producer.
Lambrusco
Give thanks and pop the cork on a bottle of Lambrusco to give your holiday meal a bubbly twist. According to Friel, this sparkling wine made from red grapes hails from Italy and can be sweet or dry, pink, or deep dark red. He describes its spectrum of expression as amazingly broad. “Everything from burnt orange to strawberries to blueberries,” says Friel of the flavors you might pick up. “It’s a whole universe.” This versatility enables it to be served at any time during the meal, but Friel also enjoys it as “a nice aperitivo” to end the meal on a good note.
Nontraditional Thanksgiving Wines Rules of Thumb
Since we’re talking about nontraditional wines for a special occasion, it’s natural to feel pressure to make the proper selection at the store to impress your guests. To ease anxiety, Friel suggests shopping at smaller, independent wine shops and not being shy about asking for help. “Talk to someone who has a deep understanding of pairings and discuss your menu,” he advises to get bottles that “perform best” with the specific dishes you’re serving.
In Friel’s opinion, the price tag isn’t a factor in determining the quality of a wine, but the label can be. He urges everyone shopping for Thanksgiving (or any other time) to follow this rule. “It’s almost 100% reliable that if you see a label on a bottle that tells you what the wine tastes like, that label is on a bottle of sub-standard wine,” he shares.
Lastly, Friel hopes everyone has fun selecting nontraditional “Enjoy yourself. Have fun. Get something you’ve never heard of. Get at least one thing that your instincts are telling you to avoid. It’s an exploration and a great way to entertain with friends and family.”
Ahead, expert-approved nontraditional Thanksgiving dinner wine picks you’ll be thankful for long after the meal.
2022 Schioppettino Las Cimas Vineyard
“Schioppettino is a grape most people outside of Italy have never heard of, and likely struggle to pronounce, which I believe makes it lesser gravitated towards,” Friel says. The grapes in this bottle hail from the Russian River Valley in California, but the medium to full-bodied wine pays homage to its Italian red berry and violet flavors.
Comunità –2022 NovaSerra Greco di Tufo
Friel believes that white wines are “undersold” in general, but what he loves about Greco di Tufo for Thanksgiving is its “versatility and stand-alone drinking quality.”
Mastroberardino –Pinot Grigio Ramato 2023
This copper wine is a keeper! It may be non-traditional for Thanksgiving but it shouldn’t be. “[It] complements dishes traditionally served during the holidays like root vegetables and herbs de Provence,” Friel shares.
Attems –Lambrusco
Bring some star power to Thanksgiving with Avaline’s Lambrusco. Not only is Cameron Diaz one of the brand’s owners, but this sparkling wine is so good it might have you slurping and getting multiple refills.
Avaline –Chinon La Fraich 2023
“Chinon almost always brings the cranberry and green peppers on the nose,” Friel shares of this do-it-all Thanksgiving Day option. “The tannins grip but do so very gently. It’s a very low-viscosity wine that can sometimes present the chalky character of the Loire soil it’s planted on.”
Olga Raffault –2023 Vinho Verde Loureiro
Light, bright, and minerally is the name of this Loureiro’s game! This dry expression’s Portuguese roots will fit in at American Thanksgiving. The organic wine pairs perfectly with turkey and boasts citrus and floral flavors.
Aphros –Yellow Label Brut Champagne
Friel’s motto, “When in doubt, Champagne,” still rings true on Thanksgiving Day. He is particularly fond of serving champagne made in the Metodo Classico with your holiday meal because it’s a delicious, easy, and “a good way of avoiding clashes with food.”
Veuve Clicquot –