What wine goes with turkey?
If you only buy one bottle of wine for turkey, make it Meiomi Pinot Noir (about $22): light enough for the white meat, fruity enough for cranberry sauce, and nobody at the table will complain.
Turkey is not the hard part. The sides are. You have got sweet potatoes, tart cranberry, salty gravy and stuffing all on one plate, and a big heavy red will steamroll every one of them. Go lighter than you think, pick something with a bit of fruit to it, and if you are feeding a crowd, put out one red and one white so nobody has to pretend. Every bottle below is in a normal grocery store, and the cheapest is $10.
6 bottles that actually work with turkey
1. Meiomi Pinot Noir
about $22Pinot Noir · most grocery stores, Target and Costco
Soft, jammy and low on the mouth-drying stuff, so it slides past the turkey instead of fighting it. This is the bottle that makes everyone at the table happy, including the person who says they do not like red. Give it 20 minutes in the fridge first.
2. Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages
about $13Gamay · grocery stores and most wine shops
The old-school Thanksgiving answer and still the right one. Light red, bright cherry, almost no grip, and it is better slightly cold. Cheap enough to buy three.
3. Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling
about $10Riesling · nearly everywhere
For the white drinkers, and honestly the best match on the table for the sweet sides. Lime, green apple, crisp, cuts straight through gravy. "Dry" on the label matters here, because the regular Riesling is noticeably sweeter.
4. La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
about $25Pinot Noir · most grocery stores, Costco and wine shops
The step up. Brighter and less jammy than Meiomi, with fresh cherry and a clean finish, so it is the one to open if the table knows its wine. Also the better match for dark meat and mushroom stuffing.
5. Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay
about $15Chardonnay · nearly everywhere
For the Chardonnay crowd, and there is always a Chardonnay crowd. It is a little creamy and a little sweet-tasting, which suits mashed potatoes and gravy better than a bone-dry white would, and the oak is kept in check. Just do not make it the only bottle.
6. La Marca Prosecco
about $16Glera · nearly everywhere
Open this while the bird is resting. Bubbles reset your mouth between bites of stuffing and green bean casserole, and it is the one bottle nobody needs convincing about.
Depends how you are cooking it
- Turkey breast only
- Leaner and drier than the whole bird, so acidity matters more. Lean on the Riesling or the Prosecco, or chill the Beaujolais a little harder.
- Deep-fried turkey
- Richer and crispier, so you want more acid to cut it. Go Prosecco or the dry Riesling rather than the Pinot.
- Smoked turkey
- Smoke can handle more wine. A Zinfandel like Bogle Old Vine (about $12) or a Syrah works here where it would be too much on a roast bird.
- Heavy on the gravy
- Salt loves bubbles and acid. Keep a bottle of the Riesling or Prosecco open alongside whatever red you picked.
What to skip
- Big Cabernet Sauvignon
- The tannin (that drying, grippy feeling) needs fat to soften it. Turkey is lean, so the wine just tastes harsh. Save the Cab for prime rib.
- Big, buttery Chardonnay
- The heavy vanilla-and-butter thing piles on top of an already rich plate. If you want Chardonnay, keep it to a lightly oaked one, or find a bottle labelled unoaked.
- Spending $60 on one bottle
- Turkey does not reward it. Cranberry and gravy flatten the subtle stuff you paid for. Spend $10 to $25 a bottle and buy more of them.
More questions about wine and turkey
Red or white wine with turkey?
Both work, which is what makes turkey easy. Red drinkers want a light one (Pinot Noir or Beaujolais) and white drinkers want something crisp (dry Riesling) rather than heavy. If you are only opening one, go red: Pinot Noir works with everything on the plate and looks more like a celebration.
Does Pinot Noir go with turkey?
Yes, Pinot Noir is the classic turkey wine. It is light-bodied with soft tannin, so it does not fight lean white meat, and its cherry fruit flatters cranberry sauce. Meiomi is the crowd-pleaser and La Crema is the better wine.
Does Chardonnay go with turkey?
A lightly oaked one does. The creamy texture suits mashed potatoes and gravy. The heavily oaked, buttery styles pile richness on an already rich plate, so look for "unoaked" on the label or pick Kendall-Jackson, which keeps the oak in check.
What wine goes with turkey and ham?
Dry Riesling covers both. Ham is salty with a sweet glaze and turkey is lean, and Riesling has the acidity for the salt and enough fruit for the glaze. If you want one red for both, Beaujolais is the one.
Should red wine be chilled for turkey?
Yes, 20 minutes in the fridge. Light reds like Pinot Noir and Beaujolais taste fresher a little cool, and a cool red is more refreshing with a heavy plate. Put it in when the bird comes out of the oven and it will be right by the time you carve.
Also worth a look
- What is the best wine for Thanksgiving dinner?
- What wine goes with ham?
- What wine goes with prime rib?
Keep reading
- What is Pinot Noir?
- Should red wine be chilled?
- What is a light red wine?
- Pinot Noir vs Cabernet Sauvignon: what's the difference?
- What is the best wine for Christmas dinner?
- What's the best wine under $15?
Last checked 2026-10-19.