The Best Budget-Friendly Wines To Pair With Thanksgiving Dinner, According To Tasting Table Staff

Hosting for Thanksgiving can be a strain on both your psyche and your wallet. From centerpiece items like turkey and honey-baked ham to a plethora of nostalgic sides, this beloved holiday can cost a lot. Your wines, however, don't have to break the bank. While there's nothing wrong with pulling out a special bottle of vino or Champagne for the holidays, there are also plenty of affordable wines that still manage to impress even the most discerning of palates.

While a light-bodied pinot noir pairs perfectly with a tender, smoked turkey, a crisp sauvignon blanc cuts through the richness of creamy potatoes with ease. Regardless of whether you're partial to French, Italian, or Californian wines, having a few different bottles on hand is best for such a diverse and hearty feast, especially if you're hosting multiple guests with different preferences. Whether you're throwing the party or bringing a bottle as a gift, these are our staff picks for the best budget-friendly wines to pair with your Thanksgiving dinner. Every wine featured costs $25 or less.

Hailing from Italy's Roero DOCG, Ceretto Blangé Arneis Langhe 2022 is a $23 wine that is perfectly balanced between a fruit-forwardness and minerality. It is light and fresh, making it a great wine to pair with rich appetizers or sides. Its versatility is a perfect example of the wines coming out of this region, and if you're looking for an affordable wine to greet guests with, this is a solid option.

Ceretto Blangé Arneis Langhe is made from 100% arneis grapes, but expect apple and pear on the nose, followed by lengthy finish on the palate. Sip this wine alongside a Brie and apple appetizer or buttery and cheesy mashed potatoes. If you'd prefer to end with a white, it's also a great pairing for pumpkin or pecan pie.

M. Chapoutier is a reputable producer making a wide selection of wines in Côtes du Rhône, a region in Southern France. Belleruche Rouge is a classic option that's perfect for your Thanksgiving festivities. Priced around $15 for a bottle, this red wine offers a peek at the popular region, featuring a blend of the typical grapes, namely grenache and syrah.

It displays ripe fruit aromas with notes of black and red berries and hints of spice and licorice. Smooth tannins add subtle structure to this fruity wine, making it an excellent choice for pairing with meat. Serve it with Thanksgiving icons like roast turkey and cranberry sauce, or serve it with roasted mushrooms, potatoes, and wild rice for a delightful match.

Popping open a bottle of Champagne instantly gets you into the holiday spirit. It is the ideal aperitif to start the Thanksgiving evening. However, Champagne can be very expensive. Instead, try an inexpensive Spanish cava like Vilarnau Brut Reserva Organic. Cava is a type of sparkling wine that utilizes the traditional method of production, creating a similar style to that of Champagne. 

In making its cava, Vilarnau uses organically grown macabeo, xarel-lo, and parellada grapes, the traditional varieties for cava production, creating a zesty wine with citrus blossom, golden apple, and crushed stone notes. The wine ages in the bottle on the lees (dead yeast strains) for 15 months, creating a nutty, baked-bread note. With 11.5% alcohol, the $16 bubbly delivers richness, texture, and a low price tag.

A dry, crisp, French alpine wine, the Apremont from Domaine des 13 Lunes will likely be new to most of your guests. It's 100% jacquère from the Savoie region of France, and it's approachable and easy with whimsical floral aromas reminiscent of an alpine meadow in summer.

At only 11% ABV, this is the exact style of wine that you want to be pouring when you're planning to imbibe from afternoon into evening. The combination of high acidity and low alcohol makes this wine flexible enough to pair with any dish. It's light- to medium-bodied, dry, and has a clean minerality and a bit of salinity. Aromatic florals are matched by crisp green apple, pear, and a hint of citrus. At around $22, this refreshing French white is a great pour and pairing for all of the classic Thanksgiving dishes.

Since turkey is the star of the show on Thanksgiving, you'll need a proper pinot noir to stand alongside it. Thankfully, Decoy's Pinot Noir is an easy-to-find favorite that tastes way more expensive than it is. Being aged for 12 months in 100% French oak gives this wine a complex flavor profile that lends depth and character, but when it opens, enjoy enticing aromas of black cherry, wild strawberry, red currant, black tea, and sage.

The palate boasts berry flavors and bright, balanced acidity before ending with a long, silky finish. In addition to the turkey, this wine pairs nicely with ham and stuffing. You can also enjoy it alongside a chocolate pie or mousse at dessert, and this bottle is available for less than $18 at most stores.

South Africa boasts excellent fruit-forward white wines, such as the signature chenin blanc by Spier, a leading producer in the Western Cape. This is a go-to option for white wine lovers on Turkey Day. Featuring fresh tropical and citrus fruit aromas with notes of guava, pear, apple, and litchi, it's a wine you'll still taste once palate fatigue sets in post-turkey. 

The crisp acidity is perfect for cutting through turkey and buttery mashed potatoes doused in gravy. It'll fare equally well as an aperitif, pairing with salty snacks or a creamy goat cheese appetizer. Going for around $11 per bottle, it's a great choice if you're hosting a crowd and don't want to break the bank.

Thanksgiving often includes family and friends gathering around the table, so large-format wines can be a hidden blessing to appease the crowd. I suggest opting for a high-quality bag-in-box option, like Ami Ami. The California-based company imports organically and sustainably grown French wines. The production of the $25 wine's packaging cuts the carbon footprint by 50% compared to producing a glass bottle. It is available in 1.5-liter boxes, the equivalent of two standard bottles. 

Ami Ami Rosé is a low-alcohol blend of syrah and malbec from the Limoux region of France near the Mediterranean Sea. The rosé offers flavors of wild strawberry, tangerine, cherry, and herbs de Provence. The gastronomic wine is a tasty pairing with roast turkey, cranberries, and indulgent sweet potato casserole.

Don't overlook this one because it's a riesling and you think it'll be sweet; this wine (and many other rieslings!) is dry and lovely and everything you want from a white at your Thanksgiving table. From the Pfalz region of Germany, Seckinger Riesling Vom Löss is an energetic and elegant expression of the terroir and grape. 

This riesling is bone dry, savory, aromatic, high-acid, and just the right amount of showy. With a sharp, crystalline essence, it gives up ripe peach, crunchy apple, lemon-lime, quince, and the minerality of a babbling brook. At 11.5% ABV, it's extremely drinkable, with refreshing acidity that can keep up with everything from bacon-wrapped dates to turkey and stuffing. It can even hang with pumpkin pie if it's still lingering in your glass. A total steal for $25.

Looking for a white wine that will stand up to the buttery and rich dishes that Thanksgiving is known for? DAOU Winery is a Paso Robles staple, and its classic chardonnay definitely deserves a seat at your table. Aromas of pineapple, vanilla bean, mango, hazelnut, and nutmeg waft from the bottle, while flavors of kiwi, fresh pineapple, pear, and melon hit the palate. Despite being pretty fruit-forward, this white wine still boasts a weighty mouthfeel that lingers with hints of white peach, citrus peel, and cinnamon.

A typical bottle of DAOU Chardonnay costs around $15, and though it pairs particularly well with chicken, it's a great partner to any poultry. The fruity flavors can also complement a cobbler or berry pie at dessert.

Famiglia Cotarella highlights Umbria in its wines, as evidenced by Falesco Vitiano Rosso. This red blend features both international and Italian grapes: sangiovese, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon. The combination balances the best of all the varieties, with fruity aromas, smooth tannins, and a fresh acidity.

These qualities and the bold palate make this ruby-red wine a versatile option for pairing with food. Serve this vibrant wine with a charcuterie board and cheese while your guests are mingling, and keep it flowing once you carve the turkey. At around $10 a bottle, there's nothing not to like — you can even pick up the white blend, Falesco Vitiano Bianco, to keep the evening's wine pairings delicious and fuss-free.

Albariño is a white grape native to northwestern Spain, where it thrives in the maritime climate near the Atlantic Ocean. The region of Maldonado in Uruguay also sits near the Atlantic Ocean and experiences the same maritime influences as Spain's Rias Baixas. Within Maldonado, Bodega Garzón showcases the variety in its Albariño Reserva.

A highly aromatic selection, the wine opens with peach blossom, ripe citrus, and honeydew melon, followed by flavors of stone fruit, lemon-lime, and soft herbs and a hint of salinity from cooling coastal breezes through the vineyards. With 13% alcohol and a $20 price, the wine has incredible natural acidity and a well-rounded palate that makes it an excellent alternative white wine for those who typically drink chardonnay.

Need a simple yet sturdy red that is fuller than a pinot noir but lighter than a cabernet sauvignon? La Vieille Ferme Rouge is a French wine produced in Côtes du Rhône. Despite being made with great care and precision, this robust red costs less than $10. La Vieille Ferme Rouge is made from a blend of carignan, cinsault, grenache, and syrah grapes, giving it a balanced yet rich taste that has solid concentration.

This wine also boasts great acidity, giving it the character and complexity needed to stand up to richer dishes and desserts. If you're not a fan of pinot noir but still want something red to pair with the turkey, turn to La Vieille Ferme Rouge. During dessert, consider serving it with a chocolate pie or cake.

Lambrusco is a type of sparkling red wine from Italy made with local grapes. It's definitely unique, but if you like bubbles in your wine, then it is a fun alternative to standard options. Pick up a celebratory bottle of Labrusca Lambrusco Rosso by Lini 910 for around $18. 

This lambrusco features dark fruit aromas of blackberry jam and plum, with hints of dried herbs and spices. Pour these savory bubbles as an aperitif to accompany a selection of charcuterie and cheese to get your turkey feast started. The fizzy quality makes it a pleasant palate-cleanser for a rich Thanksgiving meal, all while adding a festive touch that keeps the holiday feeling in the air. 

The historic Neustift Abbey crafts its light-bodied schiava red wine from vineyards within Italy's Alto Adige region. The abbey's vineyards sit at high elevations in the Dolomite Mountains foothills. Here, the schiava achieves full ripeness during the warm summer while maintaining freshness due to the day-to-night temperature shift, cooling the grapes while locking in acidity.

The fresh palate will cut through the richness of many dishes, including holiday ham, our hearty sourdough sausage stuffing, and classic mac and cheese. The wine shows ripe red and black berries, floral violets, and earthy, woody herbs. With low tannins and a low alcohol of 12.5%, ensuring the wine won't overpower the palate, this $21 dry red is a delicious alternative to options like pinot noir or gamay.

A little bit of those rolling Tuscan hills comes to life at the table when you open a bottle of Ampeleia's Unlitro. Unlitro is a red blend, usually of grenache, carignan, alicante bouschet, sangiovese, and mourvedre. The Tuscan red is a bright and fresh representation of the region, laden with ripe and zingy red fruit like cherry, raspberry, and strawberry. 

Light to medium-bodied and dry, Unlitro has the young and zippy acidity you want for food, especially that diverse smattering that makes up the Thanksgiving table. It has earthy undertones with subtle warm spice and pepper characteristics. It's a quintessential table red that mingles with your guests and various dishes with grace. The chunky 1-liter bottle is a real value at $24 or less.

Impress your guests with Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc for a bargain price of only $11. Hailing from New Zealand's acclaimed Marlborough region, this zesty white wine boasts refreshing, tropical, and citrus-forward notes on both the nose and palate. The flavors are distinct and crisp, making this bottle a great contender for rich and buttery sides — it goes particularly nicely with a savory and creamy green bean casserole.

That said, if you're planning to serve it with the appetizers rather than the main course, chill it while you prepare a goat cheese and cranberry appetizer. The tangy and sour flavors of the cranberry and goat cheese complement the zesty and clean flavor profile of this sauvignon blanc, yielding a sensational sipping experience.

The Gober & Freinbichler Vineyard Project 004 Blaufränkisch is a medium-bodied, juicy Austrian red from Domink Gober and Gerald Freinbichler. Their focus on blaufränkisch from Hungary's Mittelburgenland region homes in on a lighter iteration of the grape that is high-acid, with plenty of lush red fruit.

This blaufränkisch plays on those classic Thanksgiving flavors, giving up cranberry, cherry, and a savoriness that combines a hint of pepper, fall foliage, and green herbs. The low ABV and zippy acidity make this super-easy to drink with everything from turkey legs dipped in gravy to cheesy biscuits. It's a fun single-varietal red that some people around the table won't have had before, but will want to have again, and great red for your Thanksgiving table at around $22.