• Champagne – Big Guns: Dom Perignon NV Brut Rose is my all-time favorite but it is $$$$ so it has to be saved for special occasions.  And any brut rose is a great choice for Thanksgiving.

2) PINOT NOIR IS THE PERFECT THANKSGIVING VARIETAL
Pinot Noir is a light-skinned, red wine grape. When produced in Burgundy, France, it can be earthy and ethereal. From California, it is often velvety, offering red and black cherry notes that are the perfect complement for Thanksgiving. Pinots from the Willamette Valley of Oregon are often a great combination of the two stylistically. Pinot is lean enough not to overpower your turkey or tofurkey but flavorful and succulent enough to stand up to the Thanksgiving sides.

My favorite All-American Pinots for Thanksgiving 2021 are as follows:

Indulgent California Pinots to enjoy:

• Cakebread Pinot Noir, founded by one of my original wine mentors and wine business guides, American icon Jack Cakebread.
   

• En Route Pinot Noir, classic Russian River Valley Pinot

•    Kosta Brown  Pinot Noir.  Arguably California’s most cultish Pinot, and one that amazingly always lives up to the hype:  find it here!

Some indulgent Oregonian Pinots to enjoy:

• All Pinots by Brooks Winery

•    All Pinots by Domaine Drouhin 

3) DESSERT WINE TIME
I am a big dessert wine lover – would prefer it to dessert itself most of the time. Since the joy of Thanksgiving is indulgence in food and wine, there’s no reason not to open a 375m bottle of dessert wine – particularly as it will last for months even if not finished on Thanksgiving itself! French Sauternes are my favorite dessert wine of all—but for Thanksgiving—with this all-American alternative, you can’t go wrong:

•    Dolce by Far Niente– “liquid gold”
Pairs flawlessly with pecan, pumpkin and apple pie. Cheers to your Thanksgiving! May it be filled with food, friends who are family or family who are friends, and wine!