Asal Tutorial : How to Serve Wine at Thanksgiving

In the United States, more wine is sold for Thanksgiving dinner than for any other meal. If you are planning to serve wine at your Thanksgiving feast, you will want to be discerning about your selection in order to pair the wine with your food properly. In addition, appropriately serving and presenting the wine will ensure that the beverage’s full flavors come through and, in the process, help give your gathering an air of propriety. By pairing and presenting your wine accordingly, you will ensure that your Thanksgiving meal is delicious and entertaining.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Making Your Wine Selection

Remember that “if it grows together, it goes together.” The idea behind this saying is that wines and foods tend to develop together as part of a regional cuisine. For example, white wines, which are typically made in warmer climes, tend to pair well with foods that grew in a similar climate. Try to look for wines from a similar climate as the food that you are serving for Thanksgiving.^[1]
- However, there is no right or wrong wine for any occasion. The best wine is one that you know that your guests will enjoy.
Give your guests options. Because people’s tastes differ, you should consider offering your guests multiple types of wine. At the minimum, have a red and white wine option. You might want to offer a pinot noir and a white zinfandel since they pair well with many traditional Thanksgiving foods. You should also consider serving a dessert wine, such as a sweet riesling.
- Depending on how many guests you are hosting, you should have a few bottles in reserve.
Pair a pinot noir with your turkey and side dishes. A low-acid, high-tannin pinot with hints of berry may be a good complement to your turkey. This is especially true considering how often people pair turkey with cranberries. For a great pairing, look for a pinot that comes from the Pacific Northwest or the Great Lakes area.^[2]
- Be sure to serve pinot noir slightly chilled (50°F/10°C to 55°F/13°C)
- Pinot noir can accompany most of your meat dishes.
Serve a riesling or merlot with your ham. If you are serving ham for Thanksgiving, try to find a wine with some fruity tones that also has a hint of sweetness. A sweet riesling, a white zinfandel, or a merlot pair well with honey glazed hams. If you are serving smoked ham, you might want to consider a pinot noir or a zinfandel.^[3]
- Serve your riesling chilled (48°F/8°C) and your merlot slightly under room temperature (55°F/13°C to 60°F/15°C)
Offer your guests a malbec if you are serving lamb. Because lamb has a less pronounced flavor than other meats, it can be overwhelmed if paired with a full-flavored wine. Try to serve a wine that has a delicate flavor, such as a malbec or a syrah. You should also consider the sauce that you serve with your lamb and pair your wine accordingly.^[4]
- For a traditional Thanksgiving brown gravy, consider serving a bordeaux or a barbera.
- Serve your stronger red wines between 60°F/15°C and 65°F/18°C
Try to serve a sweet white wine. Most chardonnays are too dry to pair well with the variety of flavors that your taste buds will experience on Thanksgiving. However, a white wine with a little sweetness, like a riesling or a Gewurztraminer, can go with the main meal and any desserts. If you serve a white wine, try to find something that is sweet, high-acid or both.^[5]

[Edit]Presenting the Wine

Get some wine glasses. In order to get the best tasting experience from your wine, you will want to consider using glasses of a certain shape. For a white wine, use a glass with a smaller bowl that helps maintain a cool temperature and preserves the wine’s aromas. For a red wine, you will want a glass with a larger bowl that helps deliver the aroma and limits the burn of the alcohol in the wine.^[6]
- However, if you are not particular about how your wine tastes, you can serve it in any kind of cup you want.
Set the table. When you are setting the table for your Thanksgiving feast, you will want to be sure to place the wine glass to the top right of the dinner plate and next to the water glass. If you want to make sure that your guests get the correct glass for their wine, consider offering your guests wine when they arrive and then allow them to keep their wine glass for dinner. This sign of hospitality will keep you from doing any guess work.^[7]
- Avoid setting out more than two glasses. Too many drinks can overcrowd your dining area and lead to spills.
Keep your red wine in a decanter. The flavor of most red wines will improve significantly if allowed to sit in a decanter for 30 to 45 minutes. Simply pour the wine that you want to serve in a decanter and let it sit. Cheap red wines, in particular, will benefit from some decanting. In fact, most wines, with the exception of very old wines, will benefit from some decanting.^[8]
- You can also use an aerator that will decant your wine almost instantaneously.
Use a wine preserver. If you have any leftover wine after your Thanksgiving festivities, you should invest in a wine preserver. This will help preserve the wine’s flavor and aroma. Storing the wine in the fridge and keeping it out of direct sunlight will also help it last longer.^[9]
- If you have access to one, store your wine in a wine refrigerator.

[Edit]Serving the Wine

Cut the foil. For your Thanksgiving dinner, you can simply remove the foil or try to cut it in a way that enhances the visual appeal of the bottle. If you intend to keep the wine on the table, use foil cutters to cut the foil at the top of the lip. This is the method typically used when presenting wine to a group of people where it will be displayed.^[10]
- Sommeliers tend to cut at the bottom of the lip. This is a tradition that goes back to when the foil was made of lead and sommeliers wanted to keep the metal out of wine.
Remove the cork. There are many methods to opening a bottle of wine. You can use a sommelier knife, a shoe or even a hammer and nails. However, a corkscrew is the most common and the simplest means for opening a bottle and removing the cork. Simply screw the corkscrew into the cork and then pull it out.^[11]
- Try to place the corkscrew a little off center. This will prevent you from breaking the cork.
Pour a standard wine serving. A standard wine pour is about 5 to 6 ounces (150 to 180ml). If you want to a standard serving every time, measure 5 to 6 ounces of water into a glass, dump the water out, and then pour in wine to where the water was. However, for your Thanksgiving feast, feel free to pour your wine as liberally as you would like.^[12]
- Twist the bottle away from you to prevent any dripping.
- There are usually five 5 to 6-ounce servings in a bottle.