At MWWine School, we make wine education fun, accessible, and incredibly rewarding. Whether you are a wine or hospitality pro or an enthusiastic sipper, our WSET Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 Award in Wines courses will boost your confidence, refine your palate, and give you a globally recognized certification.

This fall and winter, we are offering in-person courses at Quench! Wine Bistro in Reynolds Village.

• WSET Level 1 Award in Wines – November 24 (1-day course + exam. Registration closes 11/10) SOLD OUT!

• WSET Level 2 Award in Wines – January 4-11 (3-day course + exam. Registration closes 12/24) CLICK HERE

• WSET Level 1 Award in Wines – January 12 (1-day course + exam. Registration closes 1/2) CLICK HERE

Edible readers can enjoy 10% off course registration. Use code: EDIBLE10

By Melanie Webber, MWWine School

I always look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas as an opportunity to pair wines. They’re not the easiest meals, however, because of the potpourri of sometimes conflicting flavors – from savory to sweet, and often all mixed in together.

My philosophy is that people should always drink what they like and that often means the old holiday standards: Pinot Noir, Beaujolais Nouveau, Merlot, Chardonnay, Champagne, and Riesling. These are all fantastic candidates for a meal and easy to find. But if you want to get a little more adventurous, I have some suggestions hailing from our own backyard to the far reaches of the globe, most at manageable price points, and all of them bring spark and creativity to the table.

Pre-nibble & First Course Bubbles!

Bubbles are a Thanksgiving tradition, but pair best with pre-nibbles, rather than the main course, where they can be overwhelmed by all the flavors. Why not look beyond that same old same old Prosecco, or the venerable Champagne, into some excellent, and less expensive, Champagne alternatives.

If you want your bubbles to stay French, look for ‘Cremant” on the label. Almost every French wine region has one (i.e. Cremant de Bourgogne, d’Alsace, etc.), made in the same way as Champagne, sometimes with the same grapes, sometimes with grapes from that region. Or how about a more approachable, rounder, and slightly less acidic Italian sparkler called Franciacorta that can rival Champagne in quality, but for fewer $$. And, if you just must have the floral fruitiness of a Prosecco, but want to level up, look for ‘Conegliano Valdobbiadene’ on the label. These are among the highest quality Proseccos, and you will definitely taste a difference.

Local Bubble Gems

Check out our local bubbles. There are wineries in North Carolina producing sparklers from the hybrids Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, and more – zesty, fruity wines with a zap of electricity. Most NC wineries offer online sales, and you can find a list of them at ncwine.org which has a handy tool to search wines by style (i.e. sparkling, dry, sweet etc.), county and more.

First Course: Go High Acid

Moving on to your first course, a white wine with high acidity to get that palate going and pair with, for example, plump oysters on the half shell, a creamy pumpkin soup, or a pomegranate studded green salad. Any of the sparklers above would do well. 

But how about something a bit different from across the pond? A zippy Vermentino from Liguria, a citrusy, floral Gavi di Gavi from Piemonte or a volcanic, apple-y Etna Bianco from Sicily. Want to go Spanish? Try Treixadura, a stunning grape from Ribeiro, or revel in the salty, doughy, almond notes of a Manzanilla or a Fino sherry.

Fruit and Structure, But Not Too Much

For the main course, you want some structure and good fruit concentration, but watch out for overly tannic wines, like Cabernet Sauvignon, because the sweetness in some traditional sides can make your wines taste more bitter.

A great choice is a grape that is a rising star, Mencía, Spain’s answer to Pinot Noir, but with a bit more black fruit and pepper. The best are from Bierzo or Ribeira Sacra, which means sacred riverbank (reason enough to give it a try!). Another up and comer is Grignolino d’Asti from Italy, a medium-body, but easy-drinking, wine with lots of red berries and minerality.

Or, if you want to go New World, try an elegant Syrah from New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay, riper than the French version and less jammy than the Australian.

Grenache from anywhere in the world is an excellent pick, whether from California or its birthplace in Spain (where it is called Garnacha) or in a good Côtes du Rhône from France. These are fruity wines that can stand up to the intensity of the food, but with not so much going on that they fight with the wide range of flavors on the table. And, if you just must do Beaujolais, skip the nouveau, look for a Beaujolais Cru, such as a Morgon or a Fleurie, richer, more intense wines made from the same grape.

And here is an out of left field suggestion: how about a sherry? And I am not talking about your grandma’s sherry! Amontillado, a dry, amber sherry with notes of fruit, umami and nuts, would make sausage and chestnut stuffing sing.

White Wine Only Please!

If you are a white wine only person, try a Roussanne from the Rhône or California, full- bodied with citrus, honey and pear, or the round fruitiness of an Arneis from Italy’s Roero, or a luscious Fiano from Campania. Or, one of my faves, a Pecorino from Abruzzo (named for the sheep, not the cheese), with a nose redolent of fruit and Thanksgiving herbs. Godello (Spain’s delicious answer to Chardonnay), from Valdeorras, and Rioja Blanco Reserva also have the complexity and heft to do that turkey proud.

Red Bubbles?

A red sparkling wine that can be magic with the main meal is a quality Lambrusco (di Grasparossa or di Sorbaro). Its bubbles are full of cranberries, cherries and violets and make a cheerful match for that Thanksgiving spread.

Chambourcin!!

Going local? One word: Chambourcin, a red hybrid on its way to becoming North Carolina’s flagship wine – rich, medium-structured and fruity, it comes to the table like an armful of freshly gathered plums and blackberries and is a specialty of many of NC’s wineries. This is the one I am bringing to my southern Thanksgiving table!

Sweet Endings

Pumpkin pie, apple pie, chess pie, et al. demand an off dry or sweet wine. If you want to splurge, there is no better pumpkin pie pairing than the caramel nuttiness of a Tokaji from Hungary or the honeyed delight of an ice wine, made from frozen grapes.

On a budget? Late harvest wines from California are good choices or a sweet Cadillac, Loupiac or Vouvray from France, or a good cream sherry or Madeira. But maybe this is really the time to go local with a North Carolina specialty: an off dry or medium sweet Muscadine wine – preferably a Scuppernong, because who doesn’t want to say that word?

Final Thoughts on Finding Wine This Season

Check in with your local wine shop who can help guide, or even special order, your choices (Asheville’s Metro Wines has a terrific wine selection). Or, take a scenic fall trip to a local winery and come home with armfuls of wine: a few of my Asheville area favorites include Stone Ashe, Saint Paul Mountain, Souther Williams, and Marked Tree. For more, check out NCwine.org. Otherwise, there are a number of online wine retailers who offer a good breadth of wine. So, there is no excuse not to go rogue with your wine this season.

Your guests will thank you!

Want to learn more? Visit melaniewebberwine.com to sign up for future classes or get free tips and advice from my blog. Let’s explore together—and make wine not just something you drink, but something you truly experience.

About Melanie Webber

Melanie Webber, DipWSET, is Director of MWWine School, which offers WSET courses in Asheville. A certified wine educator, sommelier, and writer, she has helped more than 1,000 professionals and wine lovers achieve their certifications.

Melanie holds the WSET Diploma and French and Spanish Wine Scholar certifications, is a certified Rioja and Sherry Educator and is a professor of wine studies at College of the Canyons in California. Her writing has earned international recognition, including honors in the Jancis Robinson Wine Writing Competition (2023-2025).