Thanksgiving Pinot Noir and a Few Wild Cards: Our Domestic Buyer's Picks

By Ryan Woodhouse, K&L Domestic Buyer

Smiling K&L Wine Merchants staff member Ryan Woodhouse beside a selection of wine bottles at an in-store tasting counter.

I love Thanksgiving! What a wonderful holiday, where gathering around the table to share great food, great wine, and good company with family and friends takes center stage. In lives that seem to have become increasingly rushed and chaotic, I love that Thanksgiving is all about slowing down, spending the day methodically preparing a magnificent feast, and then sitting down together to devour it! OK, so the travel back and forth to be with loved ones might be a little hectic, but once that bird is in the oven and everyone's assembled, hopefully we can all take the time to relax, catch up, and share a nice bottle or two, or three, or...

Why Pinot Noir Is the Thanksgiving Wine

Pinot Noir is undoubtedly the undisputed champion of Thanksgiving wines. It's hard to argue with the beautiful pairing of roast turkey (or fried, smoked, or whatever else you more creative folks might conjure up) and a great bottle of Pinot Noir. But I think there's another reason Pinot works so well at Thanksgiving. As the days grow shorter, the evenings draw in, and a little chill returns to the air, I find my wine cravings shifting away from the zesty, refreshing whites of summer toward the richer, redder end of the spectrum. Pinot Noir is the perfect transitional wine, offering plenty of fruit, warmth, and autumnal spice while retaining the freshness, elegance, and versatility that make it such a brilliant companion to the Thanksgiving feast.

So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite American wines for the Thanksgiving table this year, starting with a fantastic lineup of Pinot Noirs and finishing with a few more unconventional selections to keep things interesting!

Start With a Rosé of Pinot Noir

Let’s start with a beautiful rosé of Pinot Noir!

Three bottles of Anonymous Wine Collectives wines by K&L Wine Merchants.

2025 Anonymous Wine Collective Santa Cruz Mountains Rosé of Pinot Noir $19.95

I couldn’t be more thrilled with this second rosé we bottled under The Anonymous Wine Collective label. This time it's a single-vineyard, estate-grown Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir rosé from a site just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean on intensely limestone soils. This wine was a fortuitous discovery: while visiting the estate to blend our Pinot Noir bottling, I discovered this small stainless steel tank hanging out in the cellar. After talking the winemaker into selling the delicious juice to us, I just had to wait (impatiently) for the wine to arrive! And here it is, just in time for Thanksgiving! Classically dry and zesty, some alpine strawberry, pomegranate, even cranberry notes. Quite chalky and reminiscent of some Sancerre rosé wines. I love its mouthwatering acidity and laser-focused fruit. An absolute winner from day one in my house. Yum!

Nine American Pinot Noirs for the Thanksgiving Table

2023 Anthill Farms "Jack Hill Vineyard" Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $29.95 (Elsewhere $60)

A bright, fresh, red-fruited Pinot Noir that's absolutely tailor-made for Thanksgiving dinner. Anthill Farms sources this wine from an ultra-cool coastal vineyard that imbues it with tremendous freshness and verve. The nose is bursting with red berries, dried flowers, baking spice, sassafras, and hints of dry, dusty earth. Vibrant and focused on the palate, with just the subtlest touch of oak framing the juicy pomegranate and raspberry fruit. Savory, woodsy spices and intriguing whole-cluster stem notes add further complexity and dimension. What a beautiful bottle of Pinot Noir, and what an exceptional price! Thanks to our Insider's Advantage program, we're offering this stunning wine at a full 50% off its regular price. An absolute no-brainer for the Thanksgiving table! 95VN

2024 Assiduous "Volkmann Vineyard" Santa Cruz Mountain Pinot Noir $29.95

We love the Assiduous wines here at K&L, and they've become some of our most frequently repurchased bottles among both staff and customers. They consistently overdeliver on quality and value. Assiduous is essentially a one-man show, with owner and winemaker Keegan Mayo producing just a few hundred cases of each meticulously crafted wine. Volkmann Vineyard sits between Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley, surrounded by towering coastal redwoods. The wine is redolent of deep red fruits, pine needles, underbrush, bramble, and forest floor. A wonderfully savory, woodsy expression of Pinot Noir that beautifully captures its coastal mountain origins. With all those evocative autumnal aromas, it's a natural fit for Thanksgiving. 94WE

2024 Failla Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $34.95

A longtime staple here at K&L, Failla continues to set the benchmark for beautifully pure, expressive coastal California Pinot Noir. With this gorgeous 2024 bottling, veteran winemaker Ehren Jordan reminds us that he's still crafting some of the most pristine, elegant Pinots in the state. I was particularly impressed by this latest release. The Sonoma Coast cuvée is now predominantly estate-grown, drawing from Failla's Olivet Vineyard in the Russian River Valley and its coastal property in Fort Ross-Seaview. Highly aromatic, with wonderfully pure fruit, a silky, flowing texture, lifted spices, and subtle dusty earth tones. There's a lovely sense of energy and refinement throughout, making this a wonderfully versatile food wine. A really outstanding vintage of this perennial favorite.

2022 Cobb "Wendling Vineyard" Anderson Valley Pinot Noir $69.95 (Elsewhere $90)

Over the past decade, Ross Cobb's Pinot Noirs have probably graced my Thanksgiving table more often than those of any other producer. I absolutely love his wines, and they're practically purpose-built for this sort of feast. Wendling Vineyard sits in the remote, fog-shrouded Deep End of Anderson Valley, one of the coolest vineyard sites in the appellation. Those naturally chilly conditions proved especially advantageous in the warmer 2022 vintage. The typically brooding, restrained fruit has a little more extroverted flair this year, with layers of brambly berries, wild herbs, exotic Asian spices, dried rose petals, and wonderfully savory notes of forest floor and fallen leaves. There's real depth and complexity here, but also the freshness and elegance that make Cobb's wines so compelling. A magnificent Thanksgiving Pinot from one of California's true masters of the variety. 96VN | 95WA | 95JD

2024 I. Brand & Family "Merk Vineyard" Carmel Valley Pinot Noir $39.95

A new contender for the Thanksgiving table, and one of the real head-turners for me this year! I'd never heard of this relatively young vineyard before tasting this wine, but it's quickly developing quite a reputation among the coastal Pinot Noir crowd. Merk Vineyard is planted in the cooler reaches of Carmel Valley, where Pacific fog frequently rolls in and blankets the vines. The site's marine shale and sandy soils seem to produce a particularly distinctive and delicious expression of Pinot Noir. Beautiful dried floral aromas mingle with dusty, earthy red fruits, sassafras, and pomegranate. There's also a fascinating maritime quality, almost like wet chalk or sea-sprayed stone, that gives the wine a wonderful sense of place. Such a cool, distinctive wine that really stood out from the crowd. A fantastic discovery and a brilliant bottle for the holiday table. 95DC | 94JD

Rob Fischer of Marine Layer Wines at K&L Wine Merchant's Tent Event in San Francisco.

2023 Marine Layer "Marine Layer Estate Vineyard" Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $69.95

Ever since tasting this wine ahead of its release, I've been eagerly awaiting its arrival. Marine Layer's new estate bottling is nothing short of sensational! Somehow, it manages to be incredibly rich and palate-coating while remaining fresh, vibrant, and full of energy. There's a fleshy, densely layered quality to the fruit, but also a deeply earthy undercurrent and remarkable natural concentration that never feels forced or extracted. Everything is so beautifully integrated and harmonious. It has a certain Grand Cru character that's difficult to put into words: an effortless combination of power, elegance, depth, and complexity that only the most extraordinary vineyards seem capable of delivering. This is seriously impressive Pinot Noir and would make a magnificent centerpiece for a special Thanksgiving gathering. 98JD | 97VN

2023 Nicolas-Jay "L'Ensemble" Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $59.95

The wines from Nicolas-Jay just keep going from strength to strength. This beautifully composed L'Ensemble bottling draws from several estate vineyards alongside a selection of other top-tier sites throughout the Willamette Valley. The result is a deeply layered, wonderfully complex Pinot Noir with aromas of wild blackberry, clove, sandalwood, freshly turned earth, and perhaps even a tantalizing hint of truffle. There's plenty of power and concentration here, but also tremendous nuance and refinement. Give this wine a little time in the glass, and all those intricate layers really begin to unfold. A beautifully pedigreed bottle at a very compelling price. With its earthy, savory complexity and generous fruit, this would be a fantastic match for all those rich, autumnal flavors on the Thanksgiving table. 95DC

2023 Dehlinger "Champ de Mars" Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $79.95

How about a 100-point Pinot Noir from an iconic California estate for the Thanksgiving table!?

We've been longtime supporters of Dehlinger, a winery that continues to produce benchmark Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay year after year. So naturally, I was thrilled when the winery offered us a small allocation of its Champ de Mars bottling, which had just received a perfect 100-point score from Jeb Dunnuck!

In his review, Dunnuck draws a comparison to the great wines of Gevrey-Chambertin, and I can certainly see where he's coming from. (Though, given the astronomical prices of Burgundy these days, I don't get to drink nearly as much Gevrey as I'd like!) This wine has a distinctly darker, more brooding, tightly wound personality than you might expect from classic Russian River Pinot Noir. Perhaps that's the influence of the heritage Calera clone selected for this bottling, or the long, cool 2023 growing season. Either way, this is a majestic bottle of Pinot Noir. It's the sort of wine that makes you slow down, swirl the glass, and savor those haunting, slowly emerging aromatics. A truly special wine worthy of a very special occasion. 100JD

2015 Red Car "Estate" Fort Ross - Seaview Pinot Noir (Winery Direct Library Release) $29.95

We've been incredibly fortunate this year to gain access to Red Car Winery's library, and I've thoroughly enjoyed tasting through older vintages dating all the way back to 2012, hand-selecting my favorites to bring to our customers. Most of these library releases are available in quantities of just a few cases, but we managed to secure a little more of certain vintages, allowing us to offer them more broadly.

The 2015 Estate Pinot Noir from Fort Ross-Seaview is an absolute classic. With more than a decade of bottle age, it's reached a beautiful stage of maturity. There's still lovely black raspberry and dark cherry fruit at its core, but now it's surrounded by a gorgeous tapestry of sous-bois, worn leather, dried moss, fallen leaves, and earthy autumnal spices. This is exactly the sort of mature, savory Pinot Noir I love to open around Thanksgiving. If you appreciate the complexity and character that only time in the bottle can bring, don't miss this beauty. Especially at our incredibly sharp Insider's Advantage pricing! 95JS

Beyond Pinot Noir: A Few Thanksgiving Wild Cards

Now, as much as I love Pinot Noir, there's certainly room for a little variety on the Thanksgiving table! In fact, some of my favorite holiday pairings come from less conventional grapes. Whether it's the juicy exuberance of Gamay, the bright red fruit of Grenache, or the irresistible juiciness of old-vine Cinsault, these wines all have that magical combination of flavor, freshness, and versatility that makes Thanksgiving wine pairing so much fun.

Samuel Louis Smith at K&L Wine Merchants San Francisco.jpg

Samuel Louis Smith Wines in the Vineyard.jpg

2024 Samuel Louis Smith "Baytree Lane Vineyard" Sonoma Valley Gamay Noir $29.95

I managed to go back to the well one last time and secure a final parcel of this stunning Gamay, which has to be one of my favorite wines of 2026!

There are few young winemakers in California with more raw talent than Sam Smith. His wines possess that magical combination of edgy, electric vibrancy, elegant refinement, and quiet composure all at the same time. They show incredible purity and a vivid sense of place. Crafted using a decidedly hands-off approach in the cellar, they somehow manage to remain remarkably polished and sophisticated.

The Baytree Lane Gamay is a new addition to Sam's lineup, and it immediately became one of my favorites. Sourced from a small vineyard above the town of Sonoma, where the vines grow in distinctive red volcanic soils, this is an exuberant, wildly aromatic, utterly delicious expression of Gamay Noir. It's bursting with exotic, spiced red fruits, raspberry coulis, loganberry, freshly picked strawberries, baking spice, and intriguing amaro-like alpine herbs. The palate is vibrant, juicy, and wonderfully refreshing. Serve it with just the slightest chill and watch how quickly it disappears! This is downright quaffable wine, and quite possibly the ultimate Thanksgiving crowd-pleaser. 97JD

2025 Tablas Creek "Estate - Alouette" Adelaida District Grenache $29.95

Sourced entirely from Tablas Creek's Regenerative Organic Certified estate in Paso Robles' Adelaida District, this delightful Alouette bottling is practically tailor-made for Thanksgiving. It's quite translucent in the glass. Is this a light red or a dark rosé? Who cares? It's absolutely delicious!

Predominantly Grenache, with splashes of Mourvèdre, Terret Noir, Counoise, and Cinsaut, this is a bright, playful, fruit-forward wine that also has enough structure and vibrant natural acidity to handle the diverse array of dishes on the holiday table. There's a wonderful sense of freshness and energy that keeps you coming back for another sip. It's fun and approachable without being simple, and exactly the sort of wine that works equally well as a pre-dinner aperitif or alongside the main event. A fantastic value and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser! 93JS | 93OB

2025 Turley "Bechthold Vineyard" Lodi Cinsault $29.95

I pick this wine as a Thanksgiving recommendation almost every year, and I just can't help myself. Here I am recommending it again! I absolutely love this singular wine and genuinely believe it's one of the best Thanksgiving bottles out there, at any price.

The fruit comes from Bechthold Vineyard in Lodi, home to what is believed to be the oldest surviving planting of Cinsault on the planet, dating all the way back to 1885. These incredible, twisted, gnarled, almost monstrous old vines produce large, juicy berries with the most alluring purity and freshness.

Winemaker Tegan Passalacqua crafts this wine in a style that might surprise those more familiar with Turley's powerful old-vine Zinfandels. This Cinsault is bright, crunchy, and wonderfully refreshing, with a light-to-medium body, vibrant red fruit, and a remarkably modest 12.8% alcohol. There's an effortless drinkability here that's almost impossible to resist. It's the perfect antidote to the richness of the Thanksgiving feast, cleansing the palate between bites and keeping everything lively and delicious. Honestly, I can't imagine a better wine to have on hand as the turkey comes out of the oven and everyone gathers around the table!

Whatever ends up on your Thanksgiving table this year, I hope you get the chance to slow down, share some incredible food and wine, and enjoy the company of the people who matter most. Cheers!