Prepping for Thanksgiving dinner is a feat for the fearless, but there’s so much more to hosting than trying to keep your turkey from drying out or your smoke alarm from going off. You need coordination, an excellent sense of timing—and a lot of wine. Keeping your hungry guests from starting a fresh family feud requires ample libations, both before, during, and after your meal. Here are some recommendations for French wines to enjoy at your Thanksgiving dinner this year.
French Sparkling Wines
Apéritifs always call for a sparkling wine, particularly if you’ve put out a cheese plate to tide your guests over. You could splurge on Champagne (I would go for a bottle of Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut), but a crémant (a wine made outside of the Champagne region in France, but using the same traditional method) is a much more accessible option. You might try a Crémant de Limoux, a Crémant d’Alsace, or a Crémant de Bourgogne—the characteristics will vary by region, but the results will satisfy either way.
French Red Wines
Red wine is typically served with a Thanksgiving meal, but when considering turkey as your primary dish, you want to steer clear of anything too overpowering. This is where Pinot Noir comes in as your saving grace: low in tannins, high in acidity, and fruit-forward, it’s a great match for lean turkey meat, and won’t leave you weighed down for the rest of the meal. For something super light and zippy, consider an Alsatian Pinot Noir, like the 2023 vintage from Domaine Binner. If you’re looking for something domestic with a French touch, you can’t go wrong with a Résonance Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. This cult favorite winery was founded by Maison Louis Jadot’s legendary winemaker Jacques Lardière, and remains under the guidance of Head Winemaker Guillaume Large, in a part of Oregon whose terroir bears stark similarities to that of Lardière’s native Burgundy.
Beaujolais wines are also a very popular option. Of course, Thanksgiving falls around the release of Beaujolais Nouveau, whose fresh, fruity, and affordable wines are great for buying in bulk for large dinner parties. However, other wines from the region are seriously worth considering. For a step up, consider something like the 2025 Beaujolais Villages Nouveau from Georges Duboeuf, which still provides plenty of bang for your buck, but with a bit more sophistication (and a fun bottle design!).
French White Wines
When it comes to white wines, Chenin Blanc is a versatile crowd-pleaser, thanks to its autumnal apple and pear notes, and its high acidity, which cuts through rich Thanksgiving dishes. A lot of France’s Chenin Blanc wines are produced in the Loire Valley, offering a combination of finesse and affordability, whether that looks like an AOC Anjou from Clau de Nell, or a Vouvray from Barton & Guestier. (The latter in particular would be a great pumpkin pie companion.) If a domestic Chenin is on you mind, you might also consider one from Pali Wine Co. in California’s Sta. Rita Hills, the first in the region to cultivate this beloved French grape.
Digestifs for Dessert
By the time your meal is finished, and that tryptophan-wine sleepiness kicks in, you’ll need something to perk you back up. While someone gets the coffee brewing, skip the dessert wine and crack open a bottle of Cognac instead—especially if you’re planning on having a slice of pecan pie. Martell’s Blue Swift, which is finished in Bourbon casks, is a great bridge between French and American flavors, and you already know how iconic of a flavor combination bourbon and pecan are.
By this point, your guests should be sufficiently inebriated to get them happily out the door—just make sure your designated drivers were cut off after the crémant.
Catherine Rickman is a writer, professional Francophile, and host of the Expat Horror Stories podcast. She is currently somewhere in Brooklyn with a fork in one hand and a pen in the other, and you can follow her adventures on Instagram @catrickman.
