Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and families all over the country will be enjoying a feast which can include a turkey and all the fixings. Along with the delicious food that will be served up at Thanksgiving celebrations there will also be family and friends coming together to socialize and give thanks like the pilgrims and Native Americans did so long ago.

As people entertain guests and share their bounty the thought may occur as to what kind of wine to serve with the dinner. The right wine has been known to make a great Thanksgiving meal even better.

As stated by Kelly Durcan, BevMo public relations, is the turkey is stuffed? A full-bodied red can’t fail. It was simply roasted? Maybe you better uncork a Gewurztraminer. Or do you pair the wine with the sides – a Pinot Noir if the potatoes are grilled; a chardonnay if they’re sweet. Considering the Thanksgiving meal is an hours-long affair, maybe it’s best to open the wine closet and let people have at it.

To help with the appropriate selections there were a few questions posed to Master of Wine Bob Paulinski, at BevMo.

“Bob is one of only a handful of wine experts in this country who has earned the designation of Master of Wine,” added Durcan. “Thanksgiving is the biggest wine holiday of the year, and our experts would be able to offer up a number of selections to please all tastes and budgets.”

Paulinski explained that the most important considerations when selecting a wine or wines to complement a complex meal such as Thanksgiving was to choose a wine that best goes with the main course and then go with something versatile.

For a red wine selection that would be best paired with the entire meal Paulinski suggests a Pinot Noir and for a white wine varietal something that is not overly oak like a non-oak Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.

“A sparkling Rosé is ideal, it’s full, weighty and round, its build has the structure to stand up to a variety of dishes,” added Paulinski as an option for a sparkling wine throughout the meal.

For a wine that could highlight side dishes like starches or veggies, Paulinski recommends a Sauvignon Blanc as a good match.

“Dry Riesling is great with all preparations of turkey,” said Paulinski. “The acidity will keep the palate fresh.

“Malbec is perfect with any meal that features red meats. Malbec has the body and tannins to stand up to red meats, but there’s also an approachability that will fit a variety of preferences.”

After dinner for those that may have room for delectable desserts and would like some wine selections, these hints came from BevMo wine expert Mike Lee, from the Bay Area.

“Typically, I recommend pairing wines with the type of desserts based off of sugar,” said Lee. “Rich chocolate with port, Sauternes with cheeses and tarts, and sparkling works great with most pairings, extra dry, demi-sec, etc.

“I would suggest your wine be sweeter than your dessert.”

With Thanksgiving right around the corner the one thing that we all want to make sure is at our table is thankfulness.