8 Affordable American Pinot Noirs to Pour at Thanksgiving

Over the years as a wine writer I have suggested an alarming number of wines in my equally alarming number of “what to drink for Thanksgiving” columns. But somehow, shockingly, I managed to never write a Turkey-day column featuring one of the most classic options: Pinot Noir. Somewhat baffling, given that Pinot Noir and poultry is a pairing no-brainer, and given the breadth of my other suggestions.

In fact, over the years I've basically recommended everything but Pinot Noir for Thanksgiving. I’ve written about Syrah (odd); bargain Bordeaux (go figure); Riesling (I continue to fight!); fancy wines for fancy Thanksgivings; lighter-bodied wines; sommelier picks; Target-Costco-Trader Joe’s options; budget bottles; magnums (why not); Cabernet Sauvignon; Zinfandel (America’s grape, even though it originally came from Croatia), and more.

But regardless, my ultimate advice is to pair your wine with the guests rather than the food. Your austere great-aunt Alice does not want a natty Loire white that smells like a horse saddle with her two brussels sprouts and single slice of breast meat, for instance, nor does your nephew Noah, he of the tats and piercings, want an old-school buttery Chard with his vegan bird-thing-substitute. However, what they might both enjoy is that goes-with-everything pinch-hitter, Pinot Noir.

Perhaps a contrarian streak in my personality is to blame for my longtime Thanksgiving Pinot Noir blind spot (my wife would think, “and we are surprised by this?”) So let's fix this situation, because it's about time: here are eight great American Pinot Noirs to serve for Thanksgiving this year.

2022 Hahn California Pinot Noir ($16)

Family-owned Hahn Vineyards, located in the Santa Lucia Highlands just inland from Monterey, makes this eminently quaffable, medium-weight Pinot. It’s full of appealingly ripe, black cherry fruit.

2023 Cloudline Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($23)

Domaine Drouhin’s second label, Cloudline, is a reliable source for elegant Willamette Valley Pinot Noir at a modest price. The 2023, fragrant with wild berry and fresh herb notes, is a case in point.

2022 Stoller Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($25)

Brambly wild cherry flavors and soft tannins make this Willamette Valley Pinot distinctly enticing. The Stoller family got its start in Oregon raising turkeys (they had 700,000 when they called it quits). Conveniently for wine lovers, they decided in 1988 to shift their attention towards grapes. 

2022 Banshee Sonoma County Pinot Noir ($30)

Transparently ruby in hue, this Pinot from winemaker Alicia Sylvester is bright and tangy, its red berry fruit enriched by subtle vanilla and spice notes from aging in French oak barrels (25% new). 

2022 Elk Cove Estate Pinot Noir ($34)

Elk Cove, founded in 1974, was part of the first wave of ambitious winemaking in the Willamette Valley. Today second-generation winemaker Adam Campbell makes some of the valleys top single-vineyard Pinots, along with this spice-accented, cranberry-cherry-rich estate cuvée.

2022 Hundred Suns Old Eight Cut Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($35)

Husband and wife team Grant Coulter and Renée Saint-Amour own this rising star Oregon producer. Their Old Eight Cut cuvée draws on excellent vineyards up and down the valley. Its vibrant raspberry-pomegranate flavors float by, leaving hints of dried sage on the lengthy finish. 

2022 Paul Hobbs Crossbarn Pinot Noir ($40)

Paul Hobbs got his start with Cabernet — he was on the original team at Opus One — but Pinot Noir was among the varieties he released for the inaugural vintage of his namesake winery back in 1991. Over 30 years later, this luscious yet focused red is a testimony to his talents.

2021 Patz & Hall Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($45)

Winemaker James Hall is a longtime Pinot expert, mostly concentrating on elegant single-vineyard cuvées. But this regional bottling is a standout, with a silky texture, juicy raspberry fruit, and plenty of complexity.