12 Best Red Wines For Thanksgiving Gobbling & Gathering

Whether you need a light and easy drinking red wine or an elegant fruit forward pour to pair with all your favorite holiday foods, this quick list of best red wines for Thanksgiving will leave you with plenty of good stuff to pour on Turkey Day! So grab your wine glasses… let’s get tasting.

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Best all rounder red wine | Erath Pinot Noir 

For an easy drinking light-bodied wine that you can pair with just about anything, try Erath Pinot Noir.  Notes of quiet citrus fruit and spice open up into deeper fruit-forward notes like raspberry, cherry, and other red fruits.  This is an easy wine to serve and sip, so you don’t have to think very hard on how to pair it, but if you need a start: serve alongside wild rice with mushrooms or roasted squash, roasted turkey, oven-roasted harvest vegetables, or a simple holiday salad.

Vintner’s Notes: Whether you’re seeking a fruit-forward red for everyday enjoyment or a cellar-worthy vintage for special occasions, our curated selection of Pinot Noir offers something for every palate. 

Wine Enthusiast Rating: 88

Price Range: $15-20

Best Versatile Pairing Wine | Duckhorn Merlot

With notes of black currant, cassis, cherry, raspberry, and plum, this juicy Duckhorn Merlot has a rich, velvety, and luxurious finish that pairs nicely with roasted duck, roasted turkey, tomatoey pasta dishes, roasted lamb, dried fruits and nuts, aged cheddar cheeses, aged parmesan cheese or pecorino Romano cheeses.

Vintner’s Notes: Founded by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn in 1976, Duckhorn Vineyards has been crafting classic Napa Valley wines for nearly 40 years. This winemaking tradition has grown to include seven meticulously farmed Estate vineyards, located throughout the various microclimates of the Napa Valley. Focused on quality and consistency, these Estate vineyards are an essential element in making wines of distinction.  

Wine Enthusiast Rating: 92

Price Range: $50-150

Best sparkling red wine | 90+ Cellars Lambrusco

A deep inky red color, this budget-friendly Italian sparkling red wine boasts notes of strawberry, plum, and violets with a touch of silky fine light bubbles on the tongue.  Pair with light holiday appetizers before the meal like dried fruits, nuts, and cheeses from the charcuterie platter or with the main dinner alongside hearty meat dishes or meaty pasta dishes. Though it’s a red, do serve this slightly effervescent wine nice and cold.

If not widely avaliable, try Riunite Lambrusco which is of a similar profile.

Vintner’s Notes: If you’re looking for an authentic bubbly red, look no further than Lot 172 Lambrusco. This sparkling wine comes from the Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC, considered by many to be the finest DOC for Lambrusco. Bursting with fresh red fruit and frothy bubbles, this wine is nothing short of delicious.

Wine Enthusiast Rating: N/A

Price Range: $8-10

Best Fruit-Forward Red Wine |
Ridge Paso Robles Zinfandel

A full-bodied fruit-forward red that bursts with personality, this Ridge Paso Robles zinfandel pops with notes of blackberry, cherry, and strawberry jams.  Layered with notes of vanilla, oak, licorice, and exotic spice, pair this luscious fruity wine with any and all parts of the meal: roasted thanksgiving turkey, fruity thanksgiving salad, stuffing, roasted vegetables, roasted meats, spicy dishes, Italian sausage, and cheeses like gouda or asiago. 

If this label is hard to come by, try The Prisoner Saldo Zinfandel Red Wine as a delicious alternative.

Vintner’s Notes: Garnet-red color with aromas of tropical fruits, ripe plum, strawberries, and toasted oak. Saturating cherry and fresh acidity on entry. Medium body, bramble fruit, exotic spices, and underlying dusty gravel notes. The finish shows minerality and is long and gratifying.

Wine Enthusiast Rating: 92

Price Range: $40-45

Best Earthy Red Wine |
Charles Joguet Chinon Cabernet Franc

With floral notes of violet and rose, this earthy French red wine is layered with hints of cranberry, cherry, licorice, and plummy black fruit.  Pops of red fruit unleash finishing with a crisp and dry sip.  Pair with hearty stews, roasted chicken, roasted turkey, duck, lamb, and your favorite charcuterie staples.  

Vintner’s Notes: An engaging nose of fresh red fruit, this vintage seduces with its aromatic frankness. Vinified on sandy terroirs, it unfurls a tender, fruity palate with silky tannins. A Chinon de comptoir to be savored in its vibrant youth.

Wine Enthusiast Rating: 87

Price Range: $27-30

Best Easy-Drinking California Red Wine |
Meiomi Red Blend

With hints of sweet vanilla, coffee-like mocha, and dark jammy fruit like cherry, currant, and blackberry, this juicy Meiomi red blend wine is a mix of syrah, zinfandel, merlot, and cab.  Pair this easy drinking red wine with earthy mushroom dishes, roasted vegetables, roasted meats, and bold cheeses like gouda and manchego.  Pair with roasted turkey or roasted chicken and spicy or smoky foods.   

If not available the Meiomi Pinot Noir is quite good too.

Vintner’s Notes: This deep ruby red California wine opens to reveal lifted aromas of dark, jammy fruit and sweet vanilla with a hint of expressive dark-roast mocha and juicy blackberry flavors. Serve this red blend with braised beef short ribs, roast leg of lamb, pepperoni pizza, rich portobello mushroom dishes, full-flavored cheeses and caramelized vegetables.

Wine Enthusiast Rating: 91

Price Range: $20-30

Budget-Friendly French Red wine |
Jadot Beaujolais Villages

This wine fits a number of categories on the best red wines for Thanksgiving list, but if you’re looking for a go-to budget-friendly sippable French red, Jadot Beaujolais Villages fits the bill.

With notes of black cherry, raspberry, earthiness, and spice it’s a perfectly pair-able fruit forward Thanksgiving red.  Pair with the cured meats, dried fruits, and cheeses from a charcuterie spread, the roasted turkey from the main course, or Thanksgiving pastries and chocolate desserts after the dinner.

Vintner’s notes: An easy drinking wine made with high quality grapes grown in northern Beaujolais. The area’s granite and sandy subsoils allow for a rich, deep expression of Gamay. The grapes are handpicked in whole bunches, and the cold soaking is longer than usual for Beaujolais.

Wine Enthusiast Rating: 89

Price Range: $13-$15

Versatile Italian Red Dinner Wine |
Masciarelli Montepulciano D’Abruzzo

This classic Italian grape makes another easy drinking red wine for Thanksgiving dinner.  With notes of black cherry, woodsy cedar, smoky tobacco, and blackberry, this medium-bodied balanced Italian red wine is perfect paired with tomatoey pastas, aged cheeses like parmigiana, asiago, aged cheddar, cured meats and charcuterie, roasted turkey, and roasted vegetable sides.

If you’re having a hard time finding this, Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo ‘Tralcetto’ is a great alternative and a worthy contender. 

Vintner’s notes: Masciarelli is such an extraordinary story because, as few producers have managed to do, they have succeeded at the very top in creating Villa Gemma one of Italy’s icon wines, while also creating something special for the everyday consumer, a wine so much better than it needs to be, an ambassador for the region. This wine for so many people is their introduction to the Montepulciano grape and the Abruzzo region, and the quality and care shown in producing this 100% estate, all hand-harvested wine is reflected in the refinement, soft acidity, ripe and moderate tannins, and bright red berry and cherry notes with a distinct, spicy character.

Wine Enthusiast Rating: 90

Price Range: $13-$15

Easy-Drinking Spanish Red Wine |
Marques De Caceres Rioja

Hints of spiced clove, oak, and red fruit give way to notes of cocoa, leather, licorice, and woodsy vanilla flavors in this Marques De Caceres Rioja wine. Pair this tannic, luscious Spanish red with pork, duck, roasted lamb, or roasted turkey.  Pair with a classic Spanish paella rice dish or other seasoned rice dishes. 

Pair with bold cheeses such as smoky gouda or manchengo or herb seasoned roasted vegetables like grilled eggplant or squash dishes such as brussels sprouts with butternut squash, sweet potatoes with butternut squash, or butternut squash and roasted beets.

Vintners notes: A ruby red color of medium intensity. Complex aromas of black fruits, combined with balsamic notes and delicate, fine, well balanced oak. The nuances play a skillfully harmonious game. Gentle bouquet of fine leather with a touch of peppermint adding to the freshness in tasting. 

Wine Enthusiast Rating: 91

Price Range: $20-25

Best overall Splurge Wine | Sea Smoke Southing pinot Noir

Aromas of strawberry dried fruit, fennel, clove, and nutmeg give way to fruity notes of strawberry, fresh currant, and rose with ever-changing elegant nose.  Perfect paired with a fabulous butter herb roasted turkey, earthy sides like roasted mushrooms, or a selection of charcuterie and cured meats.  Pair with creamy nutty cheeses like goat cheese, camembert, or gruyere.  A great Thanksgiving red wine if you want to splurge a little bit, and bring out a bottle of the very best for the holiday table.

Vintner’s Notes: Southing refers to the south-facing hillside bluffs found on our estate vineyard.  Each year, our goal for this wine is to create the ideal marriage of complexity and elegance.  Southing is a true expression of the terroir of Sea Smoke Vineyard:  seductive flavors and fine tannins complimented by cool climate acidity.

Wine Enthusiast Rating: 94

Price Range: $100-150

Best big super tuscan Red | Ornellaia bolgheri

A luxurious start with bold ripe fruit, blackberry, blueberry, cherry and plum opens up into a mix of warm spice, smoky tobacco, and vanilla. A deeply layered and luxurious wine, pair this decadent and refined super Tuscan wine with roasted lamb, roasted turkey, rich hearty and rustic stews, ragus, and even grilled fish. Pair with wild mushroom risotto or pecorino or gouda cheeses. Pair with chocolates or coffee flavored desserts after the meal, if desired. Pair as desired for the sky is truly the limit with this most memorable and delicious wine.

Vintner’s Notes: Ornellaia shows an expressive bouquet of black fruit, with a touch of vanilla and tobacco. Such aromatic complexity shows on the palate where the wine proves expansive and generous. A powerful tannic structure carries it towards a savory and enduring finish.

Wine Enthusiast Rating: 97

Price Range: $200 – 280

Best Dessert Red Wine | Graham’s six grapes Reserve Port Wine

Notes of dark fruit dominate with hints of dark cherry, plum, and currants creating a rich and luxurious feel. Hints of dark chocolate, coffee, and mocha linger a tad on the finish building a luscious jammy and decadent finish.

Pair this deep ruby red dessert wine with bold cheese selections such as aged cheddar, romano, manchego, or gruyere. Pair with a selection of dark chocolates, caramelized nuts, and dried fruits. Pair with chocolate mousse desserts or the age old holiday classics: pumpkin pie or fruit cake. This dessert port wine is best served slightly chilled between 50 and 60 degrees F.

If it’s hard to track down, try Graham’s Reserve Vintage Port Wine or Cooper & Thief Bourbon Barrel-Aged Red Blend Wine.

Vintner’s Notes: Lovely aromas of pine resin, eucalyptus and rock rose, followed by an opulent palate of blackberry and blackcurrant flavors, finishing with some dark chocolate and mocha notes.

Wine Enthusiast Rating: 89

Choose from any of these budget buys or luxurious decadent pours to share with family and friends this holiday season. This quick list of best red wines for Thanksgiving has a little something for every palate and every wallet.

If it’s Thanksgiving beers you need, then be sure to sift through our easy list of Best Thanksgiving Beers!

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