The Type Of Wine Ina Garten Recommends Serving With Your Thanksgiving Feast

With the cornucopia of gastronomic goodies sharing the spotlight on a Thanksgiving dinner table, enticing beverages sometimes get overlooked. But Ina Garten, better known to some as the Barefoot Contessa, thinks every glorious holiday spread should be enriched with an equally magnificent wine. Along with advice on making Thanksgiving a bit less stressful, Garten has some recommendations regarding which types of wine will accentuate the festivities.

A cheap wine from Trader Joe's won't do a remarkable Thanksgiving banquet justice. On her Substack, Garten insisted that on such a memorable day, a quality wine deserves to take center stage. "I always choose something special to celebrate Thanksgiving," she said. "Traditionally, I like to serve a light red such as a Morgon." Made with gamay grapes, a Morgon generally features a mix of floral and fruity flavors balanced with earthy notes that perfectly complement the typically herbaceous, savory fare showcased on turkey day.

Of course, as welcome as a Morgon would be to some, others prefer white wine when enjoying wholesome cuisine. Garten didn't forget about those folks, recommending a couple that pair well with the star of the Thanksgiving feast. "If you prefer white, I'd choose a Burgundy like a Meursault or Montrachet, which tastes delicious with turkey," she said. Burgundies are an easy-to-drink wine variety that Garten tends to keep on hand for any occasion. Still, these aren't her only recommendations for libations at the Thanksgiving dinner table if none of the above sound appealing.

Holidays like Easter and Christmas are celebrated by millions worldwide, but as far as Thanksgiving, it's mostly Americans who are eating turkey in droves. When choosing a wine to complement her seasonal spread, Ina Garten sometimes likes to pay homage to her native land by choosing vino made right here in the U.S. of A. "Since turkey day is, after all, an American holiday, I often opt for an American wine — say, a light red pinot noir from the Sonoma Valley," she continued.

While you probably won't find stuffing at Ina Garten's Thanksgiving dinner table, you will find exceptional desserts to cap off the celebration. Garten recommends pairing those toothsome confections with wines that complement sweeter fare. "With dessert, pop the cork on a good Champagne like Perrier-Jouët or a less expensive Italian prosecco," she said. If there is ever a good time to splurge on something special like Champagne, it's the holidays that come but once a year. With all her extraordinary cuisine and wine flowing like a geyser of joy, where can I sign up to be a guest at Ina Garten's Thanksgiving feast?