# Wines That Go Well with Turkey **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** wine\ **Created:** [November 18, 2017, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003 "2017-11-18T17:05:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003/21 "2017-11-19T19:05:32Z")
Pinot is perfect. Either Noir or Grigio/Gris. I would stay way from Cabs and Syrahs, unless you really like those reds. If you keep your white wine in the fridge, let it sit out about 20 minutes before serving. It’s going to lose a lot of its taste at fridge temp. As the saying goes, most Americans serve their red wine too warm and their white too cold. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003/22 "2017-11-19T19:31:25Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I’ve always had Beaujolais Nouveau, noted in the quoted text as the lightest style, with the turkey. This is my go to with turkey as well. And since it is seasonally available only for a short time that corresponds with thanksgiving it just seems like it was meant to be. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003/23 "2017-11-19T19:35:40Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > This is my go to with turkey as well. And since it is seasonally available only for a short time that corresponds with thanksgiving it just seems like it was meant to be. Got any recommendations for wines that go well with potatoes? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003/24 "2017-11-19T20:12:38Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Thanks, all. I went wine shopping yesterday. The Beaujolais selection was scant, so I ended up getting a bottle of Alexander Valley Vineyards pinot noir 2015 from California’s Sonoma Country for a red and a bottle of Santa Margherita pinot grigio 2016 from Italy for the white. Hope those will do. > > One more newbie question: Are these supposed to be chilled? I’ve always heard the rule was white wine is chilled, red wine not, but you never know. Oh, that’s COMPLETELY wrong. Your Thanksgiving dinner is RUINED. Kidding. Red wine should be “cellar temperature,” which means quite cool. Leave them outside for several hours before dinner. Open two hours before to let breathe. Do the same with the whites. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003/25 "2017-11-19T20:19:55Z")
Something you really did wrong was to buy only two bottles. 🙂 PS to **Ike** : The OP lives in Hawai’i. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003/26 "2017-11-19T20:58:38Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Leave them outside for several hours before dinner. In Hawaii? :dubious: No longer relevant, but Beaujolais doesn’t need to ‘breathe’. 😉 . ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003/27 "2017-11-19T21:12:21Z")
Alsatian Gewurtztraminer goes well with turkey. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003/28 "2017-11-19T21:15:48Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Alsatian Gewurtztraminer goes well with turkey. What kind of wine goes with Alsatians? (Or other hot dogs, I suppose.) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003/29 "2017-11-19T21:24:09Z")
I’ve found that the wine should go with the _sides_ rather than the bird at Thanksgiving. Face it, no matter what you do to it or how you cook it (other than slow-smoke) turkey is just a rather flavorless, blah protein. Get wines that will go with how the dressing is prepared, and what veggies are being served, and be sure to get one that pairs will with the dessert. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003/30 "2017-11-19T21:45:50Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > [N]o matter what you do to it or how you cook it (other than slow-smoke) turkey is just a rather flavorless, blah protein. I disagree, at least for dinner. Leftovers can be bland. Try this with the leftovers: Slice the turkey breast about half an inch (or more) thick. Heat it up and serve on toasted focaccia with aioli (or just mayonnaise), bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado (in that order). Also works with grilled chicken breast. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003/31 "2017-11-19T22:02:42Z")
Leftovers have never been a problem for us. We’ve never had them. Either they went home with the others in our camping group, or didn’t exist because we went to a 5-star restaurant instead. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003/32 "2017-11-19T22:12:48Z")
I try to plan the meal so that there are few, if any, leftovers. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003/33 "2017-11-19T22:55:32Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Thanks, all. I went wine shopping yesterday. The Beaujolais selection was scant, so I ended up getting a bottle of Alexander Valley Vineyards pinot noir 2015 from California’s Sonoma Country for a red and a bottle of Santa Margherita pinot grigio 2016 from Italy for the white. Hope those will do. > > One more newbie question: Are these supposed to be chilled? I’ve always heard the rule was white wine is chilled, red wine not, but you never know. > > Thanksgiving dinner will be small, just four of us – the wife and I plus our married-couple neighbors. They have children and grandchildren, but they’re all on the mainland and won’t be here. I think that wine selection is just fine. I don’t know that Pinot Noir specifically but Pinot Noir is a nice light red suitable for turkey and stuffing and the like, and some of my favorite California wines are from the Alexander Valley (the region, not specifically that vineyard). The idea that you can’t drink red with poultry or seafood is bullshit. You don’t want red with extremely delicate foods, but the right kind of red with turkey or turkey pie or a robustly flavored seafood is just fine. The Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio is my friend’s standard go-to white wine, although quite frankly I much prefer a nice mellow Pinot Gris, but that’s a personal preference. They’re made from the same grape but from different regions and (I thought) usually different ageing processes. Pinot Grigio tends to have sharper fruity characteristics that some might prefer and might even argue goes better with turkey. I drink almost entirely red wine, so my opinion on whites doesn’t count for much. When I do drink white, my personal preference is for the kind of depth and mellowness you tend to find in a good Chardonnay or Pinot Gris. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003/34 "2017-11-19T23:48:41Z")
60 degrees Fahrenheit is getting a little too complicated. I’ll keep the red wine out of the fridge and put the white wine in the night before, taking it out a half hour before we go over to dinner. Should be okay? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003/35 "2017-11-20T00:48:25Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I disagree, at least for dinner. Leftovers can be bland. As I said in the other thread, turkey is my favorite part of the Thanksgiving dinner. I don’t know what all you guys are doing to your turkey that it’s a bland footnote to the meal, but turkey itself is a pretty flavorful meat, especially compared to chicken, which everyone seems to love. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003/36 "2017-11-20T01:27:30Z")
Blech. Oh, well. More turkey for everybody else, including my wife. I, OTOH, will be tucking into a nice rare rib-eye steak on Thanksgiving. To each his own. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003/37 "2017-11-20T01:35:28Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Blech. Oh, well. More turkey for everybody else, including my wife. I, OTOH, will be tucking into a nice rare rib-eye steak on Thanksgiving. To each his own. Commie. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003/38 "2017-11-20T01:39:16Z")
Lambrusco is the ideal wine for Thanksgiving. It’s a rich deep red colour, medium body, slightly effervescent. Serve chilled. Pinot Noir is a far better alternative to the insipid Beaujolais Nouveaus. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003/39 "2017-11-20T01:41:29Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > As I said in the other thread, turkey is my favorite part of the Thanksgiving dinner. I don’t know what all you guys are doing to your turkey that it’s a bland footnote to the meal, but turkey itself is a pretty flavorful meat, especially compared to chicken, which everyone seems to love. Far as I’m concerned, turkey is _the_ reason for the season. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003/40 "2017-11-20T02:02:59Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > The Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio is my friend’s standard go-to white wine, although quite frankly I much prefer a nice mellow Pinot Gris, but that’s a personal preference. They’re made from the same grape but from different regions and (I thought) usually different ageing processes. Pinot Grigio tends to have sharper fruity characteristics that some might prefer and might even argue goes better with turkey. I drink almost entirely red wine, so my opinion on whites doesn’t count for much. When I do drink white, my personal preference is for the kind of depth and mellowness you tend to find in a good Chardonnay or Pinot Gris. Grigio is Italian, Gris is French, and of course French wines are labeled by region, not by varietal, so you’re not going to see a French wine labeled Pinot Gris. Also, Oregon wines from that grape are generally called “Gris”, whereas California uses Grigio. The purpose is obviously to confuse the consumer. 🙂 Rieslings are wonderful wines, but too many sold in the US are overly sweet (too much residual sugar). Finding a good, dry one is not so easy. I’ve been at very good restaurants and told that their Riesling was “dry” only to find it not dry at all. I’d stay away from that wine unless you really know what you’re doing (or you don’t mind sweet wine with your dinner). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-that-go-well-with-turkey/802003.md?page=3)