All the Best Wines to Drink With Turkey for Your Thanksgiving Dinner

When it comes to Thanksgiving wine, you have an important choice to make. You can pick one standout, versatile option to serve with the entire Thanksgiving menu, from appetizers right on through dessert (and the inevitable post-meal food coma), or you can switch it up for each course with a different wine that highlights each dish's unique contributions. But in the end, there's no right or wrong way to do it. "Thanksgiving dinner is always a really challenging meal because there are so many different things going on with it," explains Master Sommelier Emily Wines, vice president of beverage experience at Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurants. "There are a lot of very savory elements, like turkey gravy and stuffing, but there is also a lot of sweetness, so those are all things to consider."

Of course, you've probably heard the old adage about pairing red wine with red meat and white wine with fish and poultry. But don't feel constrained there, either. "At our house, we always have Rosé on the Thanksgiving table," explains Joel Gott, vintner and founder of Joel Gott wines. "It goes well with everything from turkey to the things we know everyone really loves — the huge variety of side dishes." Instead of just thinking about matching the body of the wine with the dishes, think about the volume of the foods, too, says Wines. Some loud and bold foods (think that stinky blue cheese on your pre-dinner cheese platter or bacon-studded Brussels) want intense, equally loud wines like a Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux. Then there are heavy, quiet foods (like mashed potatoes with lots of butter and gravy) that pair well with big, soft wines like some Chardonnays or a Gewürztraminer.

But of course, the most important thing is that you enjoy what's in your glass. "The most important rule of food and wine pairing is that there are no rules, only guidelines," says Wines. Thanksgiving can be a great time to test drive new wines you haven't tried before, so don't be afraid to pick up a new and exciting bottle to try with the fam. Wines likes to drink American on Thanksgiving, and drinking local just makes sense for an American holiday. Here are some expert-approved and GH-tasted wines we love, at a range of flavors and price points. There's sure to be something for everyone at the table.