Classic styles when pairing wine with turkey:
Full-bodied Chardonnay, such as those from Burgundy or California
Pinot Noir
Mature Bordeaux, Rioja or Barolo
Beaujolais (Gamay)
Remember that turkey is not a powerful meat
When pairing wine with turkey, remember that this is a white meat with a low fat content, which is why it can dry out if not cooked carefully.
Your wine matches should ideally be either a full-bodied white wine or a medium-bodied red, with low or medium tannin and relatively high acidity.
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Pairing wine with turkey: a visual guide
Click on the turkey and wine pairing graphic below to see a full-size version.
Tips on matching turkey with wine. Credit: Annabelle Sing / Decanter
The basic rules of pairing wine with turkey
Let’s talk about tannins
Fine tannins are great in a balanced wine with some bottle age, but too much mouth-coating tannin could also ruin all those hours you’ve spent in the kitchen.
There is likely to be a dearth of fat on the plate in general, leaving little to soften tannins in a big, bold, young wine.
This can accentuate the harsh feeling of tannins in the mouth, eclipsing other flavours. The saltiness of the turkey can also make tannins taste more bitter.
It may seem strange that classic wine choices include those with relatively high tannin levels, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blends from Bordeaux.
This, however, is where several years of bottle age come into play. Tannins will soften and integrate over time in the best wines.
Embrace acidity when pairing wine with turkey
A roast turkey dinner is often full of flavours and complexity. Sides like cranberry, bacon, parsnips, stuffing and Brussels sprouts are just some of the dishes vying for attention.
A wine with medium or high levels of acidity should be able to cope better with these myriad flavours.
Red wine with turkey
Taste is personal and there are many options out there, but but Pinot Noir is often seen as a great match for turkey dinners.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir from bolder Burgundy crus, such as Gevrey-Chambertin or Pommard, should work exceptionally well.
If you can stretch to the Grand Cru of Chambertin then you’re in for a treat, but there are also plenty of less expensive options out there. Try looking towards Fixin or Santenay, for example.
Some lighter styles of Burgundy Pinot, such as classic Volnay wines, may be overpowered by the range of flavours on your plate.
You can also look to other relatively cool-climate regions known for great Pinot Noir. These include Central Otago in New Zealand, Mornington Peninsula in Australia, The Finger Lakes in New York State or even Essex or Kent in the UK, too.
Pinot Noir is also a good pairing with cold roast turkey leftovers, according to food and wine expert Fiona Beckett. She previously recommended ‘a riper, more robustly fruity Pinot Noir from, say, California, Oregon or New Zealand’.
Beaujolais Cru
Gamay is arguably still underrated as a grape variety and yet it can produce red wines offering delicious depth, as well as drinking pleasure.
In its Beaujolais heartland, look towards the 10 ‘Crus’, and perhaps especially those known for making slightly more powerful styles, such as Morgon or Moulin-à-Vent.
Aged Bordeaux
Cabernet Sauvignon is in a completely different universe to what we’ve just talked about, with big tannins, big acidity and lots of luscious dark fruit.
Merlot, too, carries significant weight in its classic Bordeaux Right Bank form.
Yet the delicately poised balance of fruit, acidity and integrated tannins can still work wonders with your turkey dinner, if tertiary aromas from a few years of bottle age have started to develop around the edges.
Last year, Decanter revisited the Bordeaux 2012 vintage 10 years on from the harvest, and Jane Anson selected a fine collection from the 2000s that are beginning to drink wonderfully.
Aged Barolo or Chianti Classico are other classic reds to consider with…
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