Thanksgiving Wine Pairings from MAWBY & bigLITTLE

Thanksgiving dinner asks a lot of a wine. A sip after buttery mashed potatoes tastes quite different from one after tart cranberry sauce, even with the same roast turkey on your plate. It’s why we look for bottles that taste good with several dishes at once.

To start, look for wines with balanced acidity and moderate body. Some great options include dry sparkling wines, rosés, off-dry whites and lighter red wines like Gamay Noir. The acidity found in these wine styles prevent rich dishes from feeling too heavy, while a little residual sugar in the wine can complement lightly sweet sides.

To help you decide what to open, we’re sharing a few of our favorite MAWBY and bigLITTLE pairings you can use for your own menu. Use these pairings as a starting point, with room for your family’s recipes and the wines your guests enjoy.

Blanc for the cheese board

Set out a cheese board while dinner finishes in the oven, and open Blanc for the first pour. Our brut blanc de blancs has flavors and aromas of apple, citrus, and brioche with a light texture and a dry finish.

Try it with Brie or aged cheddar and a toasted baguette. Aged cheddar plays well with the apple character, and a sip of Blanc is refreshing after creamy Brie. Add toasted baguette to pick up the wine’s bready notes, then bring the bottle to the dinner table to enjoy with the turkey and fully rolls.

Underdog with roast turkey and stuffing

Underdog, bigLITTLE’s fruit-forward Gamay Noir, is a red we’d happily pour through the main meal. Light tannins make it a gentle match for white meat, and its juicy fruit is just as good with a savory slice of dark meat and gravy.

With classic sage-and-onion stuffing, Underdog’s peppery note picks up the herbs. Its freshness is welcome through the richer sides, including roasted root vegetables with butter. Give the bottle a slight chill before serving.

Rosé with the whole Thanksgiving plate

Rosé wines earn their place at Thanksgiving because they work with several parts of the meal at once. The acidity in rosé offers a refreshing sip alongside rich gravy and heavy sides, while red-fruit flavors complement roast turkey and the natural sweetness of roasted vegetables.

With the classic turkey and bread stuffing combo, we’d pour Grace, our traditional-method brut rosé. Its berry and cherry flavors play nicely with poultry, and its bready aroma naturally pairs with the stuffing’s toasted crust.

For a still rosé, bigLITTLE’s Open Road offers that same flexibility with mouthwatering strawberry notes and a dry, crisp finish. Its juicy fruit tastes especially good with salty baked ham, and the same bottle works with herb-seasoned turkey and roasted carrots. Set it on the dinner table and let everyone try it with their own combination of sides.

Redd with cranberry sauce and savory sides

Modeled after Lambrusco, Redd is our sparkling red with soft tannins and a light, bubbly feel. Its ripe dark-berry flavors mirror the flavors of cranberry sauce, while a touch of sweetness offers a softer sip against the sauce’s tartness.

Serve it chilled with a generous spoonful of stuffing and pan gravy. The bubbles and acidity make each sip refreshing after refreshing after those fatty, savory bites, and its gentle sweetness offers a contrast to tart cranberry sauce.

Us with mashed potatoes and green bean casserole

Next to silky mashed potatoes, the bubbles in Us offer a refreshing change in texture. Our dry sparkling blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Chambourcin has soft red-fruit aromas and a clean, rounded finish. Pour it with creamy green bean casserole as well, especially with a salty forkful of the fried-onion topping.

Dune Climb with herbs and green vegetables

The herbs in your recipe are a useful clue when you’re choosing wine. Dune Climb, bigLITTLE’s dry Sauvignon Blanc, has citrus and herbal notes we’d pair with green beans dressed with lemon and parsley. Pour it with sage- or rosemary-seasoned turkey as well, especially if those same herbs are in your stuffing.

Mixtape with stuffing and sweet potatoes

Mixtape is an off-dry blend of Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Riesling contributes freshness, and Gewürztraminer adds aromatic character, while a touch of residual sugar rounds out the fresh fruit flavors.

Try it with classic sage-and-onion stuffing or roasted sweet potatoes seasoned with cinnamon or nutmeg. Mixtape’s fragrant aromatics work especially well alongside those aromatic herbs and warm spices.

For a heavily candied casserole, pay closer attention to sweetness. The more sugar in the dish, the more sweetness you’ll want in the glass.

Lee Normi with Apple or pumpkin pie

Once the pie comes out, choose a pour with enough sweetness to match the filling. A very sweet dessert can make dry wine taste sharp, so a good wine to reach for is  Lee Normi, bigLITTLE’s sweet apple pommeau. To make it, we blend apple juice with apple brandy and age it in oak.

Caramel apple, butterscotch and vanilla notes complement baked apple filling and a buttery crust. Those flavors also suit pumpkin custard or a pecan pie’s caramelized filling. Pour a small glass, room temp or lightly chilled.

A non-alcoholic pour with Safe Sex

Set a bottle of Safe Sex on the table for guests who prefer a non-alcoholic pour. Modeled after our bestselling brut rosé Sex, Safe Sex has less than 0.05% ABV and can work well with several parts of the meal. Chill it alongside the other bottles and offer it in the same glassware.

Choose your Thanksgiving wines

Choose a couple of styles your guests enjoy and let them explore their own pairings. For Friendsgiving, take a bottle to share with the dish you’re bringing.

Explore MAWBY and bigLITTLE wines online or visit our Suttons Bay tasting rooms for recommendations; we’d love to help you find a few bottles for your table.