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Starters

Barbara Lynch highlights celery and artichokes in her Thanksgiving starters—two ingredients that can make wine taste dull or sharp. But by adding lush scallops to her celery soup and creamy crab to her baby artichokes, she creates dishes that are delicious with wine—especially Sauvignon Blanc, which often has a grassy edge that complements vegetables. Girard’s zesty, citrusy 2005 Napa Valley bottling is a great choice. The aged Gouda in Lynch’s fondue has a nutty richness that pairs best with an earthy, full-bodied white such as a white Burgundy; consider Pierre Morey’s complex 2003 Meursault.

Main Course

For the turkey and its many side dishes, go with a red that can match well with a range of flavors. A good California Pinot Noir, medium-bodied and neither too tannic nor too powerful, would be terrific; look for De Loach’s luscious, black cherry–rich O.F.S. bottling, from the winery’s estate vineyards.

Dessert

To pair with the butternut squash mousse with almond tuiles: a Recioto di Soave like the 2003 Pieropan Le Colombare, a subtly sweet and delicately nutty dessert wine made from partially dried Garganega grapes. Or try the balanced 2005 Ochoa Moscatel from Navarra, Spain.