The best Thanksgiving wine is not one bottle — it is a small team: a Pinot Noir for the turkey, a Chardonnay with enough cut for gravy and sides, an aromatic white for the spice on the table, and a rosé that pours from appetizers to pie. The five bottles below cover the whole meal from $19.99 to $76.99, and all are available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, our family-owned store in San Diego, California. Browse the full wine collection for more table options.
The Five-Bottle Thanksgiving Lineup
- Cakebread Cellars Two Creeks Vineyards Pinot Noir 2022 — $54.99. The turkey bottle: 100% Pinot Noir from Cakebread's estate vineyards in Anderson Valley, night-harvested and aged 10 months in French oak, bottled at 14.2% ABV. Bright red fruit and gentle spice are exactly what roast turkey and cranberry ask for.
- Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Chardonnay 2021 — $76.99. The prestige white: 100% Chardonnay at 13.7% ABV, fermented in stainless steel and aged 10 months in French oak, with malolactic fermentation blocked to keep it bright and mineral rather than buttery. Decanter scored the 2021 at 93 points — the bottle for the head of the table.
- Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio Valdadige — $25.99. The benchmark Italian Pinot Grigio, 12.5% ABV, dry and unoaked from the Adige valley. Clean, citrusy and endlessly pourable — the appetizer and salad-course wine that disappears first.
- Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Riesling — $19.99. The value play with a job to do: a gently off-dry California Riesling sourced mainly from Monterey County, whose apricot and honeysuckle character is the classic answer to sweet potato casserole, glazed ham and anything with heat.
- Maison No. 9 Rose by Post Malone — $23.99. The all-day rosé: a Provence Méditerranée IGP blend of 45% Grenache Noir, 25% Cinsault, 15% Syrah and 15% Merlot at 12.5% ABV, created with winemaker Alexis Cornu. Pale, crisp and dry — it pours happily from kickoff to pumpkin pie.
How to Pour the Meal
Open the Pinot Grigio and rosé while people graze, put the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on the table with the turkey, and keep the Riesling in reserve for seconds and dessert — its touch of sweetness flatters both. Ordering for a crowd? Two bottles of each of the under-$30 wines plus one each of the Cakebread and Montelena covers a table of eight comfortably. For bubbles to start the day, our champagne collection has the toasts covered, and our blog and FAQs cover the rest of the holiday table.
Frequently asked questions
What wine pairs best with turkey?
Pinot Noir is the classic answer — its bright red fruit and soft tannins flatter roast turkey without overwhelming it. Cakebread's Two Creeks Pinot Noir 2022 from Anderson Valley is the pick in this lineup.
How much wine do I need for Thanksgiving?
Plan on roughly one bottle per two to three wine-drinking guests across the whole meal. A five-bottle mixed lineup like this one — two reds' worth of Pinot, two whites and a rosé — suits a table of eight.
Should Thanksgiving wine be served chilled?
Whites and rosé go in at fridge temperature; Pinot Noir is best slightly cool, around 55-60°F — twenty minutes in the refrigerator before serving gets it there.
Can I order Thanksgiving wine online in time?
Yes — all five wines are available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, California. Order early in the holiday week and check the shipping policy for transit times to your state.