Five regions. Five wine traditions. One American Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is the one meal where nearly every American tradition shows up on the same table — and the wines poured beside it should come from vineyards with roots here, too. In this five-part series, we travel region by region across the United States, finding local wines that deserve a place at your holiday table.
Each part is a complete guide: the producers worth knowing, the bottles we recommend, and practical pairings for turkey, dressing, ham, and everything else the holiday brings. Start with Part One below and follow the series as it grows — new installments are added here as they publish.
The Northeast
From New Jersey Cabernet Franc and Finger Lakes Riesling to Long Island Rosé and Pennsylvania Pinot Noir, nine Northeastern wines for your Thanksgiving table.
The South
From Virginia Viognier and Texas Tempranillo to Georgia sparkling and Mississippi Muscadine, Southern wines deserve a place at your Thanksgiving table.
The series continues with Part Three — The Midwest, followed by two more regions as the series builds toward the holiday. New parts are announced on the homepage and collected here.
Bring something versatile that pairs with a wide range of flavors — a crisp Finger Lakes Riesling, a Virginia Viognier, or a lighter red like Cabernet Franc all work. Skip big, tannic reds; the meal has too many different dishes for a heavy wine to keep up.
Turkey itself is lean and fairly neutral, so the sides and gravy drive the pairing. Medium-bodied reds with soft tannins — Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc — and aromatic whites like Riesling or Viognier handle roasted turkey, herb stuffing, and gravy without overwhelming anything on the plate.
Both, if you can. Open one aromatic white and one medium-bodied red so guests can match their glass to their plate — and to seconds. A dry rosé is a good middle path if you can only open one bottle.
Plan on roughly half a bottle per adult across the meal, a little more if dinner stretches into the evening. A bottle of American sparkling wine for the toast covers the welcome while the meal wines breathe.
Because the holiday is American, the wines can be too. Regional producers — from New Jersey and the Finger Lakes to Virginia, Texas, and beyond — make food-friendly wines at every price point, and choosing them supports the wineries shaping American wine's next chapter.
Looking for more holiday reading? Browse the full blog for tasting notes, winery visits, and regional guides.
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