The Best Champagnes to Serve at Thanksgiving for Every Budget
Serving champagne at Thanksgiving adds a festive sparkle to the celebration, complementing the hearty dishes and cozy atmosphere. With the right choice, champagne can enhance each course and create a memorable experience for everyone at the table. Here’s a guide to choosing the perfect champagne for Thanksgiving, with recommendations across a variety of brands and price points.
Why Serve Champagne at Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving menus are often rich and diverse, featuring roasted turkey, savory stuffing, mashed potatoes, and a medley of sweet and tart cranberry flavors. Champagne’s acidity and bubbles can balance these flavors, cutting through rich dishes and refreshing the palate. This pairing also brings a festive, celebratory feel to the meal, making it feel even more special.
Choosing Champagne for Thanksgiving
Champagne is generally categorized by its sweetness level, with “Brut” being the driest and “Doux” being the sweetest. For Thanksgiving, Brut or Extra Brut are excellent choices as they offer crisp acidity that balances savory and rich flavors. A vintage champagne, which comes from a single harvest year, can provide complex, nuanced flavors, while non-vintage champagne is a blend of different years, offering a consistent and approachable taste.
Champagne Suggestions by Price Range
Budget-Friendly Options (Under $40)
Gruet Brut (New Mexico, USA)
Price: $18–$25
Gruet Brut is a quality sparkling wine produced in New Mexico, offering excellent value for its price. Made by a family with deep roots in Champagne, France, Gruet’s Brut features flavors of green apple and citrus, with crisp acidity. It’s an affordable option that still delivers on taste and pairs beautifully with lighter appetizers like cheese boards or salads.
Chandon Brut (California, USA)
Price: $15–$30
Chandon’s Brut is a popular choice among American sparkling wines. It’s bright, with notes of apple, pear, and citrus, making it versatile for a Thanksgiving spread. Its fresh acidity can complement both the richness of stuffing and the sweetness of cranberry sauce. The accessible price also makes it easy to buy a few bottles for larger gatherings.
Segura Viudas Brut Reserva (Spain)
Price: $10–$15
Technically a Cava, but made in the same traditional method as Champagne, Segura Viudas is a great budget-friendly option. It has flavors of lemon zest, white flowers, and almonds, with a clean, dry finish. This option is great for anyone looking for high quality without the Champagne label or price tag.
Mid-Range Options ($40–$100)
Pommery Brut Royal NV (France)
Price: $45–$60
Pommery Brut Royal is celebrated for its bright and refreshing style, featuring fine bubbles and flavors of green apple, citrus, and a hint of white flowers. This champagne is crisp and well-balanced, with a lively acidity that complements its fresh fruit notes. Its clean, light profile makes it an excellent choice for pairing with Thanksgiving appetizers, seafood dishes, and lighter fare like salads or roasted vegetables. Pommery Brut Royal offers an approachable elegance that appeals to a wide range of palates, making it an ideal, versatile option for any holiday gathering.
Piper-Heidsieck Brut NV (France)
Price: $45–$60
Piper-Heidsieck’s Brut NV offers classic Champagne characteristics at a reasonable price point. With a blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay, it has flavors of apple, citrus, and freshly baked bread. The acidity and structure make it an excellent pairing for roast turkey and savory sides like gravy-soaked stuffing.
Taittinger Brut La Française NV (France)
Price: $50–$65
Taittinger Brut La Française is known for its elegance and balance, with fine bubbles and flavors of citrus, peach, and subtle toast. Its soft and creamy texture pairs well with buttery mashed potatoes, creamy casseroles, and delicate desserts like pumpkin pie. Taittinger is a crowd-pleaser with wide appeal for a Thanksgiving gathering.
Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut NV (France)
Price: $50–$65
Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut is a classic Champagne known for its vibrant fruitiness and smooth, creamy texture. This non-vintage champagne offers bright flavors of apple, pear, and citrus, with a subtle hint of brioche and almond on the finish. Its lively bubbles and balanced acidity make it a versatile choice that pairs beautifully with Thanksgiving staples like roasted turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. With its approachable, crowd-pleasing style, Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut is a reliable choice for festive gatherings, adding an air of elegance to any holiday meal.
Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV (France)
Price: $55–$70
Louis Roederer’s Brut Premier is sophisticated and nuanced, with notes of green apple, hazelnut, and brioche. The wine’s depth and complexity work well with richer dishes like turkey, stuffing, and even buttery biscuits. It’s a refined choice that brings a touch of luxury without breaking the bank.
Premium Options ($100+)
Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label (France)
Price: $60–$120
Veuve Clicquot’s Yellow Label is an iconic choice and a reliable crowd favorite. It’s balanced with notes of ripe apple, pear, and a hint of toast, which complements the diverse flavors of a Thanksgiving feast. This Champagne is widely available, so it’s easy to find and impresses guests with its recognizable branding and consistent quality.
Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut (France)
Price: $80–$100
Known for its richness and full-bodied style, Bollinger’s Special Cuvée offers notes of apple, peach, and brioche, with a creamy mouthfeel. It’s ideal for pairing with heartier Thanksgiving dishes like roasted turkey, gravy, and herb-seasoned stuffing. Bollinger is a bit more robust, so it can also stand up to complex flavors like those in green bean casserole.
Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé (France)
Price: $80–$100
For an elegant and refined choice, Billecart-Salmon’s Brut Rosé is a standout option that combines sophistication with a lively, delicate profile. Known for its finesse and balance, this rosé Champagne offers inviting notes of fresh strawberries, raspberries, and hints of red currant, with a crisp acidity and subtle floral undertones. Its light, silky bubbles and dry finish make it versatile for pairing with a variety of dishes, from roasted turkey to lighter appetizers like smoked salmon or creamy cheeses. Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé brings a touch of class and beauty to the Thanksgiving table, making every sip feel special.
Dom Pérignon Vintage (France)
Price: $180–$250
For those looking to splurge, Dom Pérignon is a name synonymous with luxury. With notes of stone fruit, citrus zest, and toasted almonds, this vintage Champagne has a creamy texture and long finish that elevate the Thanksgiving experience. Pair it with turkey or lighter courses so that its nuanced flavors aren’t overwhelmed. It’s a show-stopping choice that creates a memorable moment when poured.
Suggested Champagne Pairings with Thanksgiving Courses
To make the most of your Thanksgiving meal, here are a few pairing ideas to guide your selections:
Appetizers
Pair with: Gruet Brut or Segura Viudas Brut Reserva
For appetizers like cheese boards, charcuterie, or light salads, choose a sparkling wine with bright acidity. These affordable options bring freshness to start the meal and prepare the palate for the main course.
Main Course (Turkey and Savory Sides)
Pair with: Piper-Heidsieck Brut NV, Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut, or Taittinger Brut La Française
The main course deserves a Champagne with depth, as it has to stand up to the flavors of turkey, stuffing, and gravy. These mid-range to premium Champagnes have the complexity and structure needed to handle both the savory and herbal notes in the meal.
Dessert (Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie, Apple Pie)
Pair with: Veuve Clicquot Demi-Sec or Moët & Chandon Nectar Impérial
For sweeter endings like pumpkin pie or pecan pie, consider a Demi-Sec or slightly sweeter Champagne. Veuve Clicquot Demi-Sec has just a touch of sweetness to complement dessert without overwhelming it, while Moët & Chandon’s Nectar Impérial offers a tropical fruitiness that works well with apple-based desserts.
Champagne Tips for Thanksgiving
Serve at the Right Temperature: Keep your Champagne chilled to around 45–48°F (7–9°C). Serve it cold, but not overly chilled, as this allows the flavors to come through without muting them.
Have Enough on Hand: Plan for around one bottle per two to three guests if you’re serving throughout the meal. Champagne’s refreshing quality makes it an easy sipper, so having a few extra bottles ensures everyone has enough.
Use Champagne Flutes or White Wine Glasses: While flutes are classic, white wine glasses are increasingly popular for Champagne as they allow the wine to breathe and show off its aroma. Either option will work, so choose based on preference.
Consider a Champagne Cocktail: For a fun twist, offer a simple Champagne cocktail as an aperitif. A dash of cranberry or pomegranate juice can add a Thanksgiving-themed twist without overpowering the Champagne’s flavor.
Final Thoughts
Selecting the right Champagne for Thanksgiving can bring an extra touch of joy and sophistication to the holiday table. Whether you’re choosing an affordable Cava or a luxurious vintage Champagne, there’s a sparkling option for every budget and palate. By pairing each course thoughtfully, you can create a harmonious dining experience that everyone will remember. Cheers to a sparkling Thanksgiving!