Even if it isn’t Thanksgiving, a turkey dinner is a big project that involves more than just oven-roasting the bird and braising it now and then. You want all the sides to go with it, including mashed potatoes with homemade gravy, caramelized vegetables, and cranberry sauce. And after all that work in the kitchen, one of the best parts of the dinner is pouring yourself a glass of wine as you sit down to eat. A perfect wine pairing always elevates turkey dinner, whether you’re diving into a classic roasted bird or leftovers in a succulent Salvadorian turkey sandwich. But it is sometimes hard to decide what wine to pair with your poultry. Do you always choose a standard white or classic red to go with turkey, or can you branch out a bit?
In a search for the perfect wine and turkey pairing, we turned to the co-founder of the Brooklyn neighborhood restaurant Cecily, a small establishment with a deep love for culinary genius. Kristin Ma isn’t just Cecily’s co-founder; she’s the Beverage & Service Director for the restaurant and has a vast understanding of wine. A guiding pairing principle she shared with us is to match your wine with the strongest flavors of the dish, not the main protein involved. So, you’d want to pair a different wine with a roasted turkey than something like that savory Salvadorian turkey sandwich that’s seasoned with oregano, garlic, spicy annatto, and a tomato-based sauce.
Delightful wines to serve with turkey dishes
While you’ll want to tailor your night’s wine selection to harmonize with the flavors of whatever turkey dish you’re serving, there are some tried-and-true pairings you shouldn’t ignore. For red wines, Kristin Ma suggests pairing turkey with Chinon or another Cabernet Franc-based wine. “I really like Olga Raffault,” Ma said. “Moderate plus tannins will hold up to the bird while complementing it with dark fruits and earthiness.”
She’s passing on pairing turkey with orange wine, a type of white wine that’s growing in popularity, distinguished by an amber color and tending to be less fruity, more savory. Instead, Ma suggests “a serious rosé,” like Clos Cibonne Tibouren. “The wine is made from Tibouren, a grape no longer grown in France outside of the Cibonne estate, and is aged under flor, a top-forming yeast,” Ma said. “This makes for a serious food wine that has light tannins, saltiness, fino sherry-like notes, and subtle red fruit quality.”
You can find a white wine at any budget to pair with turkey and get a pleasant outcome. But, if you’re looking for a high-quality, exquisite experience, Ma suggests choosing a Sémillon, or similarly weighty white, for pairing. “Birchino Yountville Sémillon sounds particularly turkey-worthy and delicious,” Ma said.
