Classic styles when pairing wine with turkey: Full-bodied Chardonnay, such as those from Burgundy or California Pinot Noir Mature Bordeaux, Rioja or Barolo Beaujolais (Gamay) Remember that turkey is not a powerful meat
When pairing wine with turkey, remember that this is a white meat with a low fat content, which is why it can dry out if not cooked carefully.
Your wine matches should ideally be either a full-bodied white wine or a medium-bodied red, with low or medium tannin and relatively high acidity.
Search all Decanter wine reviews
Do you know somebody who wants to start learning about how to pair, taste and serve your favourite wines? Pairing & serving wine: a guide for the real beginner is a new online learning course from Decanter designed to introduce the basic principles and start beginners on their journey through the fascinating world of wine. Find out more…
Pairing wine with turkey: a visual guide
Click on the turkey and wine pairing graphic below to see a full-size version.
Give a Decanter Premium subscription this Christmas The basic rules of pairing wine with turkey Let’s talk about tannins
Fine tannins are great in a balanced wine with some bottle age, but too much mouth-coating tannin could also ruin all those hours you’ve spent in the kitchen.
There is likely to be a dearth of fat