The Thanksgiving menu is a particularly interesting one for wine pairing for several reasons.

1. There is a lot of food! The menu is longer than an average meal, which means more flavors, more textures, and more kinds of food.
2. There are some common Thanksgiving dinner ingredients that are not normally part of a menu. Let’s start with cranberry sauce, which brings bright, tart-yet-sweet flavors to basic turkey, stuffing, potatoes and gravy. To that you add a variety of possibly creamed vegetables, yams or sweet potatoes with marshmallow topping, and don’t forget a molded gelatin salad that could appear. These unique foods raise the bar on easy wine matches considerably.
3. Red wine matches must work with all of the food challenges listed above, which will rule out many traditional options.

So here we are. We want wine at the Thanksgiving table that will enhance the meal and we have the challenges listed above to overcome. Where do we go from here?

Oliver’s Corporate Wine & Liquor Coordinator Josh Kirchhoff is no stranger to the challenges of the holiday meal, and he has selected four delicious and reasonably priced wines to feature this week, all of which are guaranteed to not only work with meal, but to shine with the meal. Without further ado, here they are:

• Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Brut Cuvee Sparkling Wine, $16.99+crv – Bubbly makes any occasion more festive, and this is a gorgeous example! Perfect an an aperitif and especially delicious with fresh oysters!
• Oliver’s Own Chardonnay, 2024 Sonoma County, $12.99+crv – Freshly released new bottling, crisp and clean with minimal oak intervention. This wine begs to be paired with your Thanksgiving turkey!
• Balletto Rosé of Pinot Noir, 2024 Russian River Valley, $16.99+crv – Rose’ can be a great match with the Thanksgiving menu, managing everything from cranberry sauce to stuffing with grace.  This one is up for the challenge!
• Oliver’s Own Sangiovese, 2024 Dry Creek Valley, $12.99+crv – The sleeper hit of our private label program, drink this one on its own or pair with many of the items on your Thanksgiving table!

A few More Picks…

For this all-important two-week Holiday ad, in addition to the four featured wines selected for the Thanksgiving table, we are featuring Highway 12 as our Winery of the Week. “Tracing its path through the famed Sonoma Valley and Carneros District, Highway 12 is the backbone of Northern California’s Wine Country. These wines capture that spirit and offer delicious quality and value.”

We have selected three of our favorites to feature here that are ‘Ideal for the Meal’.

Highway 12 Sauvignon Blanc, 2024, Sonoma County. 750 ml. Bottle $12.99+crv — Sauvignon Blanc is a perfect aperitif and a great match for salads, seafood, and more!
Highway 12 Pinot Noir, 2020, California. 750 ml. Bottle $12.99+crv –– Pinot Noir is in many ways a perfect match for the flavors of Thanksgiving. Offering its distinctive bouquet of earthy, bright red fruit and body with little oak, it can accompany everything on the table.
Highway 12 Chardonnay, 2023, California. 750 ml. Bottle $12.99+crv — Lively and bright, with melon, pear, and subtle spice on the palate. A great match for appetizers, stuffing, creamy sauces, and vegetables!

So there you have it: a great selection of wines to grab to welcome your guests that will work well throughout your meal, and all at reasonable prices.

Note: All quoted prices are in effect through November 27, 2025 at all four Oliver’s Market Sonoma County locations.

Don’t forget that our wine team is standing by in the Wine Departments at all four Oliver’s Market locations, ready to answer any question or solve any pairing dilemma. They are always happy to assist you in finding wine, beer, cider, and spirits for any occasion.

Cheers to a delicious Thanksgiving from everyone at Oliver’s Market!