The white flesh of the turkey, which is low in fat and high in protein, has a subtly sweet and savory taste and goes particularly well with wine. It doesn’t matter whether you’re using turkey from the deli or the leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner; turkey makes an excellent filling for sandwiches.
In addition, turkey flesh pairs nicely with a variety of sides, from veggies that have been steamed to bread that has just been baked. The process of matching wine and food may be highly challenging, even when dealing with an apparently simple dinner; on the other hand, turkey and wine are a natural match.
What sort of wine goes best with a Thanksgiving turkey dinner? The flavors of turkey go nicely with white Burgundy, Nouveau Beaujolais, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Shiraz or Syrah, and Zinfandel.
Riesling, Rioja Reserva, Sauvignon Blanc, and Vouvray are some of the other wines that pair well with turkey and have a flavor that complements the meat. The several ways in which the turkey is cooked, as well as the sauces and sides that are served with it, each call for a uniquely suited bottle of wine.
Choose bottles that go well with a broad range of cuisines rather than trying to find wines that are a great fit for each unique dish or taste.
This article will make it easy for you to learn which style of wine is most suited to pair with turkey, from earthy, fruit-driven reds to whites that are both rich and balanced in flavor. The following are responses to questions that are commonly posed regarding serving wine with turkey and how the pairing varies depending on whether the turkey is prepared in a deli style, roasted style, or smoked manner.
Do you serve red or white wine with turkey?
Traditionally, a white wine with a full-bodied flavor or a red wine with a medium-bodied flavor goes well with turkey. The manner in which the meat is cooked and the component(s) that are coupled with the meal are two factors that should be considered when deciding whether to offer red or white wine.
The fact that turkey is a lean white meat with a low overall fat content makes it particularly susceptible to drying out if it is not prepared correctly during cooking.
A solid choice would be to go with a red wine that has a medium body and stays away from excessive oak usage. The acidity and fruitiness of these varieties of wine are of a sufficient level to adequately compliment, but not overpower, a broad variety of tastes found in the meal.
In the interim, white wines with a touch of astringency or carbonation pair very well with the diverse dishes that are presented.
Tannins should be mild or low, and there should be a reasonably high amount of acidity in the wine you choose to pair with turkey.
Does Pinot Grigio go with turkey?
The answer is that Pinot Grigio is a good match with turkey. In point of fact, it is an excellent selection of white wine that is neither too light nor excessively heavy. It has a significant amount of fruit flavor but not a lot of oak flavor at all.
To be more precise, Pinot Grigio from Santa Margherita has robust scents and fruit tastes that include apples and citrus, making it an ideal complement to a dinner that has a balanced portion of turkey.
Does Sauvignon Blanc go with turkey?
Yes, Sauvignon Blanc is a good choice for when you don’t have any Pinot Grigio available since it pairs nicely with turkey and is a fantastic alternative.
This wine is famous for having a taste that is reminiscent of citrus and works very well when combined with flavors of herbs or minerals. White wine is the kind of wine that works very well when paired with mashed potatoes and turkey.
The Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and Marlborough has a vibrant acidity and notes of herbs with a touch of grapefruit and passion fruit. It is the ideal wine to serve with salads or as an appetizer. The traditionally hefty turkey sides are easier to stomach when paired with this wine because of the wine’s fruity tastes and acidity.
Does Malbec pair with turkey?
There is a good match between Malbec and turkey. Malbec, in general, is a good pairing option for dark turkey meat. Red wine with a reputation for having a body that ranges from medium to full and that goes well with dishes that have a more robust taste profile.
When served with turkey for dinner, this wine takes on a fuller, more fruity flavor, but it does not have the ultra-long finish or the harsh tannins that are characteristic of high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon.
Consider serving a Malbec with your turkey dinner if it has any of the following ingredients: pepper, sage, creamy mushroom sauce, melted cheese, or blue cheese.
Best wine to pair with turkey
The best wine to pair with turkey is either a medium-bodied red or full-bodied white wine that has a substantially lower concentration of tannins and a significantly greater amount of acidity.
Even though there is a wide range of alternatives available, everyone has their own preferences when it comes to flavor, but Pinot Noir is widely acknowledged as being a perfect complement to whole turkey feasts.
In order to choose the wine that goes best with turkey, it is important to first understand how the turkey is cooked, since this will help limit down the selection of wines:
- Roasted turkey: Nouveau Beaujolais, Burgundy, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Zinfandel
- Hash: dry or Alsatian rosé Riesling
- Leftover turkeys (served cold): Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, German Riesling
- Smoked: dry rosé
- Thanksgiving dinner: Amarone, Beaujolais, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Kabinett Riesling, Shiraz, sparkling wine, Syrah, fruity Zinfandel
Conclusion
Some of the most popular wines that are recommended to be served with turkey are listed above. The issue that arises when attempting to combine wine with turkey is determining what other foods may be offered alongside it.
a filling that is rich in taste, fruity, and occasionally spicy, as well as a huge selection of veggies with at least a dozen distinct flavors, all of which must be consumed simultaneously. Turkey dinners may take on a variety of forms and can include a wide variety of tastes that are complementary to one another.
When it comes to pairing wine with turkey, it is advised that you choose a white wine with a full body or a red wine with a medium body. Some examples of these wines include Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Malbec.
Every single wine has its own one-of-a-kind flavor, tannins, and acidity, and certain foods complement that flavor the best when paired with that wine.
If you want to identify the ideal wine pairing to compliment the dinner, think about how the turkey will be cooked and what kinds of side dishes will be offered. This applies whether the turkey will be used for a holiday feast, a deli sandwich, or a simple pasta dish.
FAQs
Do you serve white or red wine with turkey?
Because turkey is a white meat and has a low fat content, it is susceptible to drying out if the cooking process is not properly monitored. Therefore, the perfect wine to pair with your food is either a full-bodied white wine or a medium-bodied red wine. Additionally, the wine should have low to medium levels of tannin and relatively high levels of acidity.
What is the best wine to serve with Thanksgiving dinner?
Pinot Noir is considered to be the traditional Thanksgiving wine.
It is arguable that Pinot Noir is the most traditional wine to serve around Thanksgiving, and there is a good reason for this: the piquant, acidic overtones of red fruit in Pinot Noir are just as complimentary to autumn meals as cranberry sauce is.
What wine is good for Thanksgiving or turkey?
Both Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling are wonderful choices in this case. Fuller-bodied wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are crowd-pleasers; nevertheless, the robust and often oaky characteristics of these wines are better suited to the roasted red meats that are traditionally served during the holidays in December. If you really care about them, you will go out of your way to assist them.
Can you serve red wine with turkey?
There is no reason why you can’t pair red wine with turkey. It is possible that you should avoid serving Cabernet since, in general, it is excessively acidic and strong in tannins (that astringent property that causes your tongue to feel a touch dry), which prevents it from pairing well with turkey. To cut through the richness, though, you may offer a lighter red wine that has a reasonable amount of acidity.
Is Cabernet Sauvignon OK with turkey?
The majority of gourmets will agree that turkey is best served with a light wine like Beaujolais Nouveau or Pinot Noir, but it is also possible to enjoy it with a robust wine like Cabernet Sauvignon. Remember that turkey is incredibly adaptable and may be cooked in such a manner as to match practically any wine, so if you like a full-bodied red, you can serve it with almost any wine.