7 Wines Under $20 For Thanksgiving

Recommendations from the pros for the right bottles to pair with your turkey

Thanksgiving is around the corner, which means it's officially Time to Celebrate. All month long we're bringing you recipes, tips, tricks and stories that are equal parts memorable and delicious.

Choosing wine for a dinner party can be tough, and between all the friends and family and the variety of courses, Thanksgiving can feel like the ultimate test. The good news is you can stay under $20 and still get a great bottle. (Stay above $15, and you're practically guaranteed a solid choice.)

To give you a little more guidance, we tapped the experts at some of our favorite places  for a list of recommendations. Rebelle head sommelier Kim Prokoshyn shares bottles to pair with dark meats, stuffing and hearty dishes. Maialino wine director Jenni Guizio shares her Italian answer to Beaujolais, and owner and beverage director of Racines NY Arnaud Tronche offers the perfect pick for kicking off the meal, as well as a serious steal to round out dinner.

① 2015 Alfredo Maestro Tejero 'Viña Almate' VDT ($15 to $18)

"A satisfying fall red made of Tinto Fino in the vicinity of Ribera del Duero in Spain. It's a pleasantly juicy and smooth wine with dark cherry fruit, with hints of sage and licorice adding some freshness. Great for pairing with darker meats, like turkey legs and stuffing with sausage." —Prokoshyn

② 2014 François Cazin, Cour-Cheverny ($17 to $18)

"A medium-bodied white wine from the Loire Valley in France, made from the rare grape Romorantin. Cazin works with vines up to 80 years old that create a wine with great concentration and depth. I love the waxy richness which meets a sleek and racy minerality on the finish, giving the wine restraint and poise." —Prokoshyn

③ 2015 Bernard Baudry Chinon 'Les Granges' ($15 to $18)

"One of my favorite Cabernet Francs, also from the Loire. A wine with a graphite kind of minerality accented by a wet earthy character and a bit of blackberry fruits. It's a perfect medium-bodied accompaniment to heartier dishes." —Prokoshyn 

④ 2014 Foresti Rossese di Dolceacqua ($19)

"It is a little-known grape variety outside of Liguria and is Italy's answer to Beaujolais. Crunchy, bright red fruit, dried flowers and crushed black pepper from old vines, which are grown on steeply terraced dry-stone walls." —Guizio

⑤ 2012 Trapet Riquewihr Riesling ($17)

"This amazing producer also makes some of the most profound wines in Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy. But here in Alsace, France, he crafts a zippy Riesling, which is full of energy, providing great acidity to wake up your palate at the beginning of the meal. Dry, minerally and stony, you'll finish the bottle before you even realize it!" —Tronche

2015 Bernard Baudry Chinon Rosé ($17 to $19)

"This is 100 percent Cabernet Franc and 100 percent pleasure to drink now. It offers an elegant tobacco note, a hint of bell pepper, plus dark fruit flavors and fine tannins. Basically, it's all you need to complement your turkey." —Tronche

⑦ 2014 Château Thivin Cotes de Brouilly ($11 to $18)

"This is a stunning Gamay. It's made using a gentle extraction, and provides an explosion of red fruits with nice minerality. It's very Burgundian, but at a third of the price...such a steal!" —Tronche