Hidden Gems & Showstoppers for Thanksgiving 2025

As Thanksgiving approaches, our shelves are stocked with everything you need to make this year’s feast unforgettable. From the ultimate turkey pairing—rosé Champagne—to crowd-pleasing reds, elegant whites, and festive cocktails, our buyers have curated a collection to match every palate and plate. Whether you’re hosting, gifting, or simply savoring the season, this guide is your roadmap to a table filled with flavor, gratitude, and great wine.

• Rosé Champagne Is the Versatile Pairing for Turkey and All the Sides
• Thanksgiving Wines: Pairing for the People
• Savoring Every Drop: Festive Holiday Cocktails!
• Around the World at the Table with Rosé
• We’re Thankful for Italian Wine!
• Try Before You Buy: Thanksgiving Hits in Our Open Cellar Machines

I love Thanksgiving. I love it so much that we usually do it twice a year chez Westby. I love it so much that I own a turkey suit and wear it every year the day before Thanksgiving in the store. I love it so much that I have accumulated some weight from enjoying it to its fullest—mostly by stuffing myself with stuffing. Why do I love it? Because it is the best time to be thankful for all of life’s blessings, and to celebrate those blessings with food, friends, rosé Champagne and red Burgundy!

We have a lot of Thanksgiving traditions at home: stuffed pumpkins, heritage breed turkeys that look like they would be better suited to the racing track than the oven, vintage port after dinner, pecan pies… The list goes on and on. But the most consistent tradition of all is two Champagnes, they have been on our table every year for decades, and I don’t want to change that now. Both are rosé, and I am a firm believer that rosé Champagne is the ultimate wine for the Thanksgiving table. Everyone has a favorite dish at Thanksgiving, and rosé can handle all of them. Keep reading On the Trail.

-Gary Westby, K&L Champagne Buyer

Choosing wine for Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be stressful—it should be part of the fun. The meal is a celebration of family, gratitude, and flavors that stretch from buttery mashed potatoes to cranberry sauce and roast turkey. With so many textures and personalities at the table, the right bottle isn’t just about what’s on the plate—it’s about creating a sense of connection. The best wines for Thanksgiving, I’ve found, are the ones that bring people together as easily as they complement the food.

Thanksgiving is always a tricky wine holiday for me. You want bottles that celebrate both family and feast, but the table is usually filled with a wonderfully diverse crowd of wine lovers—each with their own preferences and opinions. Someone wants crisp whites, another insists on bold reds, and there’s always that one person who just wants “something smooth.” I’ve come to realize that while you can go in countless directions with food pairings, the real joy is finding wines that pair just as beautifully with the people. The answer, for me, is a wine that’s crowd-pleasing yet serious enough to keep even the most passionate wine lover engaged. Discover why these wines made Ryan's list On the Trail.

Finally, the season of feasting is upon us. There’s something especially satisfying about gathering with family and friends around a table laden with thoughtfully prepared cuisine. Yet pairing a sumptuous meal with an equally delicious cocktail is often overlooked. With the release of K&L’s newest expression of America’s native spirit, K&L Liquors' 7 Year Old Every Drop "Living Legend" Batch No. KY-03-25 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($49.99), there’s a cornucopia of ways to imbibe on the big day.

Distilled at an undisclosed—yet beloved—Lawrenceburg distillery and bottled at 107 proof, the new Every Drop offers the perfect ABV to stand up in any festive holiday cocktail. Although we can’t say where it’s made, rest assured that for $49.99, you can have two turkeys on the table this year. Whether you prefer your drinks bold and boozy or light and refreshing, Every Drop will please every palate at your Thanksgiving table. Find Stephanie’s go-to holiday cocktails On the Trail.

— Stephanie Manning, K&L Spirits Specialist

Many years ago, I was at a tasting with famed wine importer Kermit Lynch, and he lamented the fact that so many restaurants and retailers push rosé off wine lists and shelves shortly after Labor Day. This makes no sense at all, he said, considering that rosé is perhaps one of the most versatile wines to pair with food. Why do we reach for Chablis and Riesling all year round but consider rosé as nothing more than a warm weather sipper? The inherent qualities of rosé—fresh acidity, good palate weight, and the combination of fruit, floral and savory aroma—make it a wine that pairs with everything from oysters to roast poultry.

To be fair, I think the tide has been turning in recent years, but rosé still has a bit of an image problem: it’s wildly popular during the summer, but many have not yet discovered its potential as a serious pairing for a wide range of foods, just as Kermit described. And what better holiday than Thanksgiving to explore rosé as an option? With so many flavors on the table, and unexpected side dishes brought by guests, rosé is the perfect wine to have on hand. These are some of my picks: Keep reading On the Trail.

— Rachael Ryan, K&L Spain, Portugal, & Southern Hemisphere Wine Buyer

This year I’ve selected outstanding Italian wines that work beautifully with Thanksgiving foods. Italian may not be the traditional route, but the food-friendliness and structure of these wines will make them an absolute knockout at your table. Whether you're looking for a crisp, mineral-driven white or a show-stopping red, look no further than K&L’s Italian aisle. From perfect whites to versatile reds and true showstoppers, read more On the Trail.

— Orazio Campoli, K&L Italian Wine Buyer

November Open Cellar at K&L: Eight new wines are hitting the Open Cellar machines, and they couldn’t be better timed for the season. Think textural whites for crisp evenings, generous reds for hearty meals, and a few aged treasures ready to steal the show at your Thanksgiving table. Come taste them at any of our stores and find your next favorite bottle for fall. Discover what's being poured at your local store On the Trail.

— Alex Leonardi, Sommelier Services Manager