Chandon Etoile Rose

The perfect wine to serve with your Thanksgiving feast.

It’s November, which, in most people’s minds, means one thing: Thanksgiving! But let’s not be myopic, especially since the holiday comes with dubious lineage. I’m not being blasphemous—it’s just that what we commonly associate with Thanksgiving, the day Pilgrims and Native Americans celebrated a bountiful harvest, should really be attributed to the “national day of thanksgiving and prayer,” ordained in George Washington’s 1789 inaugural speech.

According to my research, there was reportedly a feast held in the summer of 1621 between these reluctant neighbors, a time of the year when there was actually something to feast upon. I don’t know if you’ve looked in your garden lately, but the words “bountiful” and “harvest” do not come to mind. 

Granted, the month’s other noteworthy holidays (Day of the Dead, Guy Fawkes Day, Saxophone Day, Armistice Day and International Accounting Day, to name just a few) make for a poor culinary rallying cry, so, Thanksgiving it is!

And, to answer that age-old question of what to serve with roast turkey, I selected the Chandon Etoile Rose ($33.99-$35.19 at your local liquor store). For the wide range of flavors on the Thanksgiving table, sparkling wines are a no-brainer. Bright acidity, fruit and yeasty undertones make for the perfect companion.

The Pinot Noir grape provides body, some tannin for texture and red-fruit character while the Chardonnay provides the complexity and balanced acids. And the bubbles help cleanse the palate for the next course.