What the Tablas Creek team will be drinking with our Thanksgivings in 2024

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. It's brings extended family together for a day of cooking, eating, and reflecting on what we're grateful for. It's still largely uncommercialized. And it comes at a time of year where those of us who work at wineries are finally able to slow down and relax. Even after a relatively early harvest like this year's, that's something to be thankful for.

Before diving into specific recommendations, it's worth going over some things that don't change. Try not to stress over your choices. Open a range of wines. Expect each of them to sing with a dish or two, coexist peacefully enough with another, and maybe clash with something. That can be fun, and instructive. Remember, and accept that it's OK, that nothing will pair particularly well with sweet potato casserole or roasted Brussels sprouts. Open a few more wines than you think you'll need, and don't feel bad about having wine leftovers, along with your food. You'll likely learn something, and have fun along the way. Remember that open bottles kept in the fridge should be fine for a week or more. And if you're still stressing after reading all these recommendations, I refer you to the 2016 piece on W. Blake Gray's blog where he set up a simple 5-question quiz to answer the question "is this wine good for Thanksgiving". I'm sure I haven't gone through every possible combination, but I've never gotten any answer other than "yes".

OK, now that I've told you any choice is perfectly fine, it's only fair that I acknowledge my own preferences. After all, there are wines that I tend to steer clear of, like wines that are powerfully tannic (which tend to come off even more so when they're paired with some of the sweeter Thanksgiving dishes), and wines that are high in alcohol (which tend to be fatiguing by the end of what is often a marathon of eating and drinking). But that still leaves you plenty of options. With a traditional turkey dinner, I tend to steer people toward richer whites and rosés, and fruitier reds relatively light in oak and tannin. Plenty of Tablas Creek wines fit these broad criteria, so if you want to stay in the family, you could try anything from Marsanne to Esprit Blanc to Dianthus Rosé to Counoise or Cotes de Tablas. Richer red meat preparations open up a world of Mourvedre-based reds young or old, from Esprit de Tablas to Panoplie to En Gobelet, which just (say it out loud) sounds like something you should be drinking at this time of year.  

But I'm just one person. As I've done the last several years, I reached out to our team to ask them what they were planning on drinking this year. This is super fun for me to see, and I'm hoping it will be as much fun for you. One thing I love is that while some will be drinking Tablas Creek, many (including me!) have made other choices. And that's normal. Those of us who work in wine usually do so part because we love its many facets, and there's an amazing variety of wine made around the world. Whether you choose an American wine for this quintessentially American holiday, or celebrate America as a melting pot by choosing wines from elsewhere, I refer you back to Blake Gray's article. You're not wrong.

My team's responses are below, in their own words, in alphabetical order. It's a bit of a smaller list this year since I was a little late getting out the request, but if you need more inspiration, check out the team's suggestions from other eras. One great thing about Thanksgiving pairing blogs... they're timeless, since the dishes don't change much and there's almost always a new vintage of each wine.

Charlie Chester, Senior Assistant Tasting Room Manager
This Thanksgiving, Amber, Haylee, Brandon, and I are headed to my sister Kacey’s place in Carpenteria for a gathering of family and friends. We’re planning a feast: smoked turkey, ham, and all the traditional sides.

Over the three days we’re there, we’ll most likely enjoy many wines. Some that we know will be consumed around the dinner table include a crisp Grenache Blanc from Absolution Cellars, The Dodd from Lone Madrone, a bolder red for my brother-in-law, and a bottle of Gold Coast Pinot Noir from Story of Soil that I’ve been saving for a special occasion.

Amanda Collins, Cellar Master
It’s a two-Thanksgiving kind of year for this Collins family!

For our festivities, I predict a generous selection of wines to accompany the meals. Our first dinner will be an intimate gathering of just 40 (yes, you read that right)! With an array of homemade dishes, we’ll opt for wines that are clean and classic to complement—not clash with—all the flavors. One of my go-to choices for such culinary adventures is Sandlands Contra Costa Red Table Wine. It’s effortlessly confident, offering juicy red fruits with a touch of earthiness on the finish. It’s a wine that has never disappointed me. Another crowd-pleaser is our very own Counoise, which I’m sure will get a mention or two in others’ posts as well. This bottle is packed with crunchy red fruit, a vibrant mid-palate, and a bright, lifted finish that keeps you coming back for more.

For our second evening, a more traditional affair with just five guests, we can afford to go a little bolder since there are fewer palates to please. We’ll start with Littorai Sonoma Coast Chardonnay—complex, fresh, and wonderfully light, it’s the perfect wine to kick things off without weighing you down. Then, because we can, we’ll do a side-by-side of Esprit Rouge and Beaucastel Rouge. Both are textural, rich, and plush, with dark, luxurious notes and long, satisfying finishes.

Here’s to celebrating Thanksgiving—twice, and in style!

Austin Collins, Cellar and Vineyard
Thanksgiving 2024 is set to be a real doozy. We will be hosting a group of about 40 this year and the beverage choices will surely be a mixed bag. As with most years, the presence of Bristols Cider will be strong. Because, it doesn’t really get much better than cider on a blustery autumnal day, or any day for that matter. As for wine I will throw in a 2023 Lagniappe Seersucker, a Sauvignon Blanc from the Columbia Gorge made by dear friend Lisette Hrapmann (of Swampwater fame). For reds I would like to keep up with tradition and open a few bottles of Beaujolais, this year focusing on the wines of Quentin Harel, a favorite of the young producers of the region. Cheers to all and keep your heads up!

Neil Collins, Director of Winemaking
It’s that time again! Choosing the wines that will grace the thanksgiving table.

It’s a big group this year so I will include a magnum of 2015 Esprit Blanc. I poured this at a “Friendsgiving” event recently and it was perfect out of magnum. We brought some Rieslings back from Germany this summer so i think we will open a Furst Lowenstein, Furstlicher Kallmuth 2021. I am a fan of Antiquum Farms in Oregon and I think their 2021 Alium Pinot Gris will be a good fit. Lastly i will have to open a bottle of the very first Lone Madrone Estate Zinfandel 2022. In reality there are so many wines to choose from, but as long as the company is in good spirit and there is food on the table then the wine will take its place. Happy Thanksgiving and thanks to you all…… Neil

PS Yes there will be cider.

Ian Consoli, Director of Marketing
I am having a small gathering this Thanksgiving, so I am opening up fewer bottles than usual. I still want to experiment with how different wines play with the meal and will open a sparkling, white, and red. The sparkling is a Champagne from Laurent-Perrier that our Controller Denise Chouinard gifted me when I graduated from my Wine EMBA program two years ago. I’ve been sitting on this one! The white wine is a South African Chardonnay from Tesselaarsdal that I’m told can rival a white Burgundy. Game on! Finally, the red is a Beaujolais Nouveau from Domaine Dupeuble. This style of wine is a Thanksgiving classic that I have yet to try with the meal. I am looking forward to it! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Terrence Crowe, Tasting Room
For this years thanksgiving dining experience I will be opening a few bottles for family.

Kinero Cellars 2022 Macbride Vineyard old vine Chardonnay. 
Tablas Creek Vineyard 2015 Esprit de Tablas rouge.
Kinero Cellars 2022 James Berry vineyard Roussanne. 
Domaine Stephane Ogier, 2020 Saint Joseph Le Passage.

Happy thanksgiving and may your dining and drinking experiences fill your souls with joy. Cheers, Terrence

Darren Delmore, National Sales Manager
This year we'll be spending the holiday in West Sonoma with friends and family. On tap is some Esprit de Tablas Blanc 2018, and a special Sonoma County wine I've owned since 2008 that I'm really excited to dust off and check in on: a magnum of Ridge 2006 Lytton Springs. A mixed-blacks legend based on Zinfandel but with a heavier hit of Petite Sirah than their Geyserville bottling gets, should be in a fine place with the larger format at the 18 year old mark. Happy holidays!  

Jules Giese, Tasting Room Team Lead
This Thanksgiving I’ll be staying local and celebrating with some good friends. I’m very lucky and get to take a backseat when it comes to cooking this year but of course I'll still be bring wine. I managed to get my hands on a magnum of 2017 Esprit Blanc a while back. It's a vintage I wasn't fortunate enough to pour in the tasting room but is well loved by those who did. I've been lucky enough to try it here and there. It's been a while since I last had it but the Esprit just gets better and better with age so I think it'll be an great pairing for the meal that will hold it's own against the reds. Also 2017 was a pretty wet year for Paso so it feels fitting opening a bottle this rainy Thanksgiving week.

Dusty Hannah, Tasting Room
This year my Thanksgiving wines will consist of:

• A sparkling Gamay from Domaine Migot Brut from the Lorraine region of France. I like a good light bodied red such as Gamay and I decided to throw some sparkling into the mix because it's a celebration!
• I had a wonderful tasting at Brick House, a biodynamic producer in the Willamette, in September so I will be opening a 2022 Chardonnay Cascadia. A lovely pairing with my roasted turkey and sweet dinner rolls.
• In addition to Turkey on my Thanksgiving table this year there will also be brisket and Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgiving with at least one Tablas Creek wine. Therefore I think my 2015 Esprit de Tablas would be a lovely pairing. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Gustavo Prieto, Biodynamicist
We are starting with bubbles, with a biodynamic producer from the Loire valley, the Cremant from Amirault, a blend mostly of Chenin Blanc, some Chardonnay and Cab Franc. For the main dinner, we’ll have as always one of my favorites wines from Tablas: an older vintage of the Esprit de Tablas Blanc. And for a red, we’ll be opening a 2015 magnum of the Esprit de Tablas. 

Randy Thurman, Systems Administrator & Facilities Manager
There will be a couple bottles open with dinner most likely an Esprit Blanc and a red wine of some sort. Always a surprise on the red and it changes every year. Most likely a syrah of some sort as it’s my father in laws favorite type of wine.

And as for me...
Typically, my choice is to open the largest bottle I have to hand at Thanksgiving gatherings. There's usually a story behind a big bottle, and the randomness of "just open it" adds a certain amount of pleasurable discovery to the gathering, as well as the festivity that large bottles bring. But I'm spending Thanksgiving in Vermont where I grew up, and my dad really didn't collect large-format bottles. So we did the best we could by buying a magnum of Beaujolais (a Morgon from Domaine Lapierre that we found at our lovely local wine shop Meditrina) and we'll open some Esprit Blanc, probably a rosé as well, and we'll probably also break into a dessert wine, because if not with a meal like this, when you have a crowd around the table and aren't expected to do anything beyond play games and watch football, when?!? Beyond that, we'll see.

Wherever you are, however you're celebrating, please know that we are thankful for you. May your celebrations be memorable, the wines you open outstanding, and the company even better.