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Wine with Turkey: Six Crowd-Pleasing Pairings

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on December 24 2021 at 06:45

You may already have your own favourite wine pairing for turkey but if you're looking for inspiration here are some wines that I think go with turkey best.

Red or white wine with turkey? It depends.

The challenge with pairing wine with turkey is what else you serve with it - a full-flavoured, fruity, sometimes spicy stuffing, tart cranberry sauce and an array of vegetables (sprouts and carrots at a minimum) that means you probably have about a dozen different flavours on your plate. That doesn’t mean you can’t pick a white or rosé but it does suggest something full and fruity that can cope with the onslaught.

The other consideration should be who you have round the table as both Thanksgiving and Christmas tend to be multi-generational gatherings involving older members of the family who may well be set in their ways! So it’s worth sticking to tried and tested crowd-pleasers:

Six wines that pair really well with turkey

Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Not an inexpensive option, admittedly but the impressively embossed label has a real feel-good factor and the generous alcohol of the wine will hold its own with the stuffing and sides. Don’t try to do it on the cheap though. A decent Chateauneuf costs at least £15 (on special offer) and generally well over £20.

Other southern Rhône reds

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Comments: 4 (Add)

Philip on December 24 2019 at 18:07

I'm going for a Magnum of lightly oaked and smooth merlot from the western edge of the cote du Rhone from the cave cooperative in euzet. I hope it goes well! Only cost 8.70 euro for the Magnum! But it is a tried and tested wine!

Fiona Beckett on December 22 2019 at 20:36

I think that would be delicious too!

Nick Brett on December 22 2019 at 16:54

Good advice about not having that “special “ bottle with the meal, rarely works.

Matt on December 22 2019 at 15:52

Thanks for the advice, as ever. What would you think to pairing the classic turkey lunch with Hermitage Blanc?

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