Idea Lab
Casillero del Diablo Thanksgiving

Savor Thanksgiving with Three Perfect Chilean Red Wines

Outside, autumn’s leafy vestiges carpet the ground. Inside, a golden turkey roasts in the oven, warming the kitchen; shouts and cheers in the living room rise and fall with the passage of a football. Late November marks that annual occasion when friends and family break from work to gather for Thanksgiving. Some festivities, maybe a “friendsgiving,” feature a potluck of foods to share the burden of cooking. Other households take a traditional approach with grandma hovering over the bird and beans, swatting away hands stealing advance tastes. Whichever style you and your loved ones subscribe to, wine deserves a spot on the table.

Chile’s Casillero del Diablo grows the perfect grapes for a holiday feast. From graceful Pinot Noir, spicy Carmenère, to structured Cabernet, there’s a red wine for every mood and dish.

Casillero del Diablo Pinot Noir earns marks for its freshness, red fruits, and elegance. Given the breadth of dishes served on the holiday, Pinot’s versatility with food makes it the perfect Thanksgiving wine. Pinot Noir enhances subtle dishes like buttery garlic mashed potatoes while taming the sweeter flavors of corn pudding and sweet potato. Of course, Pinot Noir’s silky tannins and bright acidity are universally recognized as an ideal pairing with turkey. Smother white or dark meat slices with orange-scented cranberries, and the sauce’s bright tart flavors reflect the lively wine.

Carmenère, Chile’s flagship grape brings spice, black fruits and leafy freshness to the glass. For those unfamiliar with the dry red, imagine a cross between Merlot and Cab Franc: a melding of soft, plummy notes with herbaceous character. Classic Thanksgiving dishes you can pair effortlessly with Casillero del Diablo Carmenère include dark leafy greens, green bean casserole, and roasted Brussels sprouts, especially when dotted with bits of smoky bacon. Sage and sausage stuffing plays against the wine’s herbs and full body. Carmenère’s smooth tannins, toasty oak, and chocolate flavors match the intensity of game meat and lamb while pescatarians looking for Thanksgiving meat alternatives can sip Carmenère with seared tuna steaks.

Whether young and robust or aged and smooth, Cabernet Sauvignon remains a crowd favorite. While fuller-bodied than a classic aperitif wine, structure and muscle never stopped Americans from sipping a hearty Cabernet during a football game. Plenty of families even defy the tradition of turkey, laying out centerpieces of pork, lamb, and beef. For such swaps, Casillero del Diablo’s Cabernet Sauvignon steps up to the plate. Brawny and boldly flavored, Casillero’s del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon can handle honey-glazed hams, rosemary-studded legs of lamb, well-seasoned pot roasts and seared strip steaks. Extended barrel aging layers coffee and toast over cherry, plum, and vanilla notes, lending Casillero del Diablo’s Cabernet Sauvignon a surprising affinity for aged cheeses like Gruyere and blue.