Top Thanksgiving Day Wines Under $20

The biggest wine day of the year is upon us: Thanksgiving. More wine is bought and consumed on this day than on any other day of the year. There are no hard-and-fast rules for picking the right red or white wine. The best news is there are many great wines available for less than $20.

Many larger liquor stores have someone on staff to help you select a great wine to go with Thanksgiving dinner. If you're having a crowd, make sure you pick a variety of wines to suit everyone's taste.

"Life is too short to stress about drinking the right wine with the right food. There are no rules when it comes to food and wine pairing, no matter what anyone tells you. There are no perfect pairings for everyone, only perfect pairings for you." - vinography.com

Here are ten great wines to serve on Thanksgiving Day that won't break the bank. They are all $20 or less.

Sparkling
NV DOMAINE STE MICHELLE BLANC DE BLANCS ($12)
This pear-scented Washington state wine has a clean finish that makes it ideal with hors d’oeuvres and main courses.

NV ADAMI GARBÈL PROSECCO ($15)
Italian producer Adami’s appley bottling is drier than many other Proseccos, making it particularly refreshing.

Rosé
2008 CHÂTEAU GUIOT ($11)
François and Sylvia Cornut grow cherries as well as grapes, and that ripe fruit seems to have lent its aroma to this lovely Southern French rosé.

2008 DOMAINE DE LA MORDORÉE ($15)
Mordorée is known for its expensive Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but the estate also produces terrific affordable wines. One is this wild-strawberry-flavored, lightly smoky dry rosé.

White
2008 ACROBAT PINOT GRIS ($12)
Well-known Oregon producer King Estate has taken advantage of the increasing interest in Pinot Gris (the same grape as Pinot Grigio) to release this value bottling. It’s peachy, zesty and lush.

2008 ALLAN SCOTT SAUVIGNON BLANC ($12)
Less peppery and sharp than many New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, this snappy white from the country’s Marlborough region has delicious pineapple and melon notes.

2008 BODEGAS MONTECILLO VERDEMAR ALBARIÑO ($14)
This venerable Rioja producer has branched out into Spain’s far-northwest Rías Baixas region to create this bright Albariño. It’s chalky, citrusy and very easy to drink.

Red
2007 HERON PINOT NOIR ($13)
Wine producer Laely Heron has made a specialty of finding good vineyards in unexpected locations around the world. The result is wines like this chocolate-cherry Pinot Noir, from the foothills of France’s Pyrenees.

2006 RUFFINO IL DUCALE ($18)
This Tuscan red has all the hallmarks of the region: black-cherry fruit, a firm structure and notes that recall fragrant dried herbs.

2008 SEVEN TERRACES PINOT NOIR ($20)
Acclaimed New Zealand winery Foxes Island Wines makes pricey bottlings as well as this impressive, affordable red. The wine’s svelte black-raspberry fruit gains complexity from spice and tobacco notes.

Serve wines at temperatures that will heighten their flavors. White and rose wines should be lightly chilled, and reds should be around 65 degrees. If you're using standard wine glasses, you should be able to get about 5 glasses per bottle. Standard wine glasses hold about a 4- to 6-ounce serving.

Enjoy Thanksgiving, family and a great, budget-friendly glass (or two) of wine.

Written by Cheryl Phillips

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