6 Best Wines for Thanksgiving (Under $30!)
When it comes to choosing wine for your Thanksgiving feast, you want a bottle that’ll pair with friends, family, and a variety of foods. The picks that follow do just that—plus they’re reasonably priced (under $30) and can be purchased at area wineries.
PRICE: $29.97
ABV: 14.6%
TASTING NOTES: This award-winning (Silver Medal winner at the 2020 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition) zinfandel amplifies all your favorite holiday spices while still being juicy and smoky enough to pair with both light and dark meat. Made with grapes hand-picked at the peak of plump ripeness, your guests will enjoy its balance and crispness, depth, and jammy, dark fruit flavors. It’ll be the wine winner on your Turkey Day table!
Mount Saint Joseph Wines (Vin Uva Tasting Room), 8629 Auburn Folsom Road, Granite Bay, 916-784-9463, mountsaintjosephwines.com
PRICE: $26
ABV: 13.5%
PRICE: $24
ABV: 13.4%
PRICE: $28
ABV: 13.8%
PRICE: $28
ABV: 13.9%
PRICE: $28
ABV: 14.2%
TASTING NOTES: Dark and jammy bramble fruits carry the show with hints of brown sugar and bacon in this versatile wine that’s a classic blend of grenache, syrah, and mourvèdre. As it decants, maple syrup begins to rise from the glass accompanied by warm fig and cream. Medium in body and weight with just a touch of residual sugar, it’s a refreshing addition to the dinner table and one that will stand up to the holiday’s rich foods.
2017 Zinfandel
Wise Villa Winery, 4200 Wise Road, Lincoln, 916-543-0323, wisevillawinery.comPRICE: $29.97
ABV: 14.6%
TASTING NOTES: This award-winning (Silver Medal winner at the 2020 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition) zinfandel amplifies all your favorite holiday spices while still being juicy and smoky enough to pair with both light and dark meat. Made with grapes hand-picked at the peak of plump ripeness, your guests will enjoy its balance and crispness, depth, and jammy, dark fruit flavors. It’ll be the wine winner on your Turkey Day table!
2017 Zinfandel
2017 Sonoma County Chardonnay
PRICE: $26
ABV: 13.5%
TASTING NOTES: A combination of two lots—one stainless and one oak—results in a bright, crisp chardonnay that boasts a blend of oaky and buttery notes. Pleasing to both chard-lovers and those who swear they drink ABC (anything but chard), it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that’s right at home alongside creamy casseroles and buttery mashed potatoes.
2017 Sonoma County Chardonnay
2019 Whole Cluster Pinot Noir
Willamette Wineworks, 824 Sutter Street, Suite 200, Folsom, 916-542-7417, willamettewineworks.comPRICE: $24
ABV: 13.4%
TASTING NOTES: Fruit-forward and juicy with notes of cherry, cranberry, and raspberry accented by baking spice, this is one of the most versatile wines to pair with food. And with so many dishes on the Thanksgiving Day table, it’s a prime pick for this year’s feast. Its low tannins and moderate alcohol won’t overpower the poultry, while its bright, natural acidity keeps the palate fresh.
2019 Whole Cluster Pinot Noir
2019 Chardonnay
Element 79 Vineyards, 7350 Fairplay Road, Somerset, 530-497-0750, element79vineyards.comPRICE: $28
ABV: 13.8%
TASTING NOTES: The bright apple notes, vanilla crème brûlée, and balanced acidity make this wine perfect alongside all of Thanksgiving’s most decadent treats. Whole cluster pressed and tank fermented, then barrel aged for six months in 25% new French oak, this award-winning Chardonnay (Gold Medal winner at the 2020 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition) will be your family’s new favorite.
2019 Chardonnay
2018 Estate Barbera “The Friendship”
Rancho Roble Vineyards, 340 Fleming Road, Lincoln, 916-645-2075, ranchoroble.comPRICE: $28
ABV: 13.9%
TASTING NOTES: Grown in Placer County, this fruit-forward Barbera—that’s light with hints of plum—is best shared with friends. A delightful Italian varietal, it provides a unique, hyper-local alternative to Pinot Noir and is extremely food-friendly.
2018 Estate Barbera “The Friendship”; Photo by Ray Burgess
2017 Estate Howard's Last Hand
Cielo Estate Winery, 3040 Ponderosa Road, Shingle Springs, 530-672-8575, cieloestate.comPRICE: $28
ABV: 14.2%
TASTING NOTES: Dark and jammy bramble fruits carry the show with hints of brown sugar and bacon in this versatile wine that’s a classic blend of grenache, syrah, and mourvèdre. As it decants, maple syrup begins to rise from the glass accompanied by warm fig and cream. Medium in body and weight with just a touch of residual sugar, it’s a refreshing addition to the dinner table and one that will stand up to the holiday’s rich foods.
2017 Estate Howard's Last Hand; Photo by Ray Burgess
by Megan Wiskus
All other photos courtesy of their respective companies or organizations.