The Best (Cheap!) Wines to Serve At Thanksgiving Dinner

Since most cheese plates include a blue cheese and at least one other sharp flavor, you need a crisp wine that can clear your palate between bites. This Emina Verdejo has just enough acidity to do that—and ensure your close-talking great aunt doesn't have gorgonzola breath all afternoon.

The Wine: Emina Verdejo, $14

Where to Get It: Visit RiberaRuedaWine.com to find the liquor store nearest you. 

Okay, so this isn't the sexiest bottle you could bust out to impress your relatives, but this Wine Cube is a serious deal—$9 for 1 liter!—and it has a whiff of spice and smokiness that livens up plain old white meat. Just fill up everyone's glasses in the kitchen, if you fear boxed-wine judgment that much. 

The Wine: Wine Cube, Vintner's Red, $9

Where to Get It: Target

To those fiends at the table who fight over the turkey legs, this one's for you. A Grillo-based wine with intense, tropical notes is a refreshing contrast to dark meat, which (let's be honest) can be a little on the greasy side. Stemmari's Dalila features both Grillo and Viognier grapes, which balances out the bold Grillo. The brand's wine experts suggest pairing it with dark meat, aged cheeses and any seafood dishes you're serving that day.

The Wine: Stemmari Dalila, $10

Where to Get It: Use the wine locator at Stemmari.it to find the store nearest you.

If you're the type who mixes everything on your plate—or goes HAM on cran every Thanksgiving, since it's the one day a year the berry gets its due—go for a merlot. It calms down the tartness of cranberry sauce (while bringing out fruity flavors, thanks to its complementary cherry and plum notes, Josh Cellars wine experts say), making it a Thanksgiving dinner table must-have.

The Wine: Josh Cellars merlot, $16

Where to Get It: Use the store locator at JoshCellars.com to find a shop near you.

A bold, rich red wine—like this cabernet blend—can hold its own against the sausage, sage and herb-y flavors of stuffing. The Charles & Charles variety also contains 13.9 percent alcohol, which means you'll be pleasantly buzzed even if the stuffing's more like mush. And you're seated next to that cousin who can be best described (in the most euphemistic terms) as completely insufferable. 

The Wine: Charles & Charles 2015 Cabernet Blend, $14

Where to Get It: OneStopWineShop.com

Nobody will believe you snagged this bottle at Walmart—or that it cost $10. The flavorful wine received 88 points by Wine Spectator, making it a glass of vino even your snobbiest friends will love. It's got a robust flavor and acidic finish, making it a good fit for any roasted vegetables (including pungent asparagus!) on the table. 

The Wine: Phantom Bay Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, $10

Where to Get It: Walmart

The creamy, oaky notes in a Chardonnay pair well with the buttery, earthy flavors of a classic mash. And it's pretty much a guaranteed crowd-pleaser among white wine lovers, so at least you have one win under your belt—even if your Mom doesn't approve of your new boyfriend, haircut or too-runny gravy. 

The Wine: LBD Chardonnay, $12

Where to Find It: Visit Banfi Vintners' store locator to find the shop nearest you. 

Okay, real talk: Any earthy vegetable would pair well with a Sauvignon Blanc, but if you want something a little more exciting, go for a Torrontés, suggests Nicholas Paris, master of wine at E&J Gallo Winery. This white wine from Argentina has the acidity to cut through all that cream of mushroom soup typically used in a green bean casserole, and it has a touch of fresh herbs that play up the seasonings in the dish.

The Wine: Alamos Torrontés, $13

Where to Find It: Visit AlamosWines.com to find the shop nearest you.

Rosé may be known as summer water, but that doesn't mean you have to give it up like your P. Diddy-tastic white-on-white suit when Labor Day rolls around. That bright, refreshing flavor pairs perfectly with sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce. Plus, it can liven up often-bland dishes, like turkey and stuffing.

The Wine: Stemmari Rosé, $10

Where to Get It: Use the wine locator at Stemmari.it to find the store nearest you.

Bringing out dessert doesn't mean you have to switch to heavy port wines. The wine experts at Ribera Y Rueda recommend choosing an acidic wine with a fruity finish, like this Javier Sanz Verdejo, if you're serving an apple pie. It'll bring out the cinnamon in the dessert while cutting through that rich, buttery crust. 

The Wine: Javier Sanz Verdejo, $9

Where to Get It: Search RiberaRuedaWine.com to find the liquor store nearest you.

A moscato with orange notes, like this variety from LBD, provides a refreshing contrast to the caramel-y, nutty flavors in a classic pecan pie. Bonus: It's just sweet enough that your mouth won't pucker after going from a bite of pie to a swig of wine. 

The Wine: LBD Moscato, $11

Where to Find It: Visit Banfi Vintners' store locator to find the shop nearest you.