Ina Garten ‘Always’ Serves a $30 Bottle of Wine at Thanksgiving That’s ‘Perfect With Turkey’
Ina Garten, the host of Barefoot Contessa, knows all about entertaining. For decades she’s prepared meals for friends and family. She shares tips with the masses as a Food Network star and cookbook author.
Even in her capacity as a celebrity chef, Garten’s not about mixing up complicated cocktails for Thanksgiving. Instead, she uncorks a bottle of her go-to wine for the holiday. How easy is that?
The Barefoot Contessa is ‘fine’ with store-bought ingredients
Watch an episode of Barefoot Contessa and chances are the 72-year-old is reaching in her pantry for one of her go-to storebought items.
Even she admits some stuff off the shelf is just as good as homemade. Although they still should be quality, or “good” as she says, such as “good olive oil” or “good chocolate.”
Garten’s become synonymous with saying “store-bought is fine” and that extends to drinks for Thanksgiving. Rather than make one of her viral quarantine martinis the Barefoot Contessa keeps it simple.
Ina Garten serves red wine on Thanksgiving
“With Thanksgiving, there’s enough to do already, so I think wine is really easy,” Garten told InStyle in 2016. “Take out the cork, you’re ready to go.”
Her pick is a $30 bottle of light red wine, Domaine Marcel Lapierre Morgon.
“It is perfect with turkey, so I always serve it on Thanksgiving,” she said.
That’s not all the celebrity chef has in the way of drinks on turkey day. Garten’s a fan of Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé.
“I don’t like really dry Champagne, and this one just has great flavor,” she said.
However, it’s more than double the price of the red wine clocking in at $80 a bottle.
The celebrity chef says Thanksgiving dinner can be made ahead
The Barefoot Contessa has an entire cookbook dedicated to making food in advance. She says Thanksgiving is a great time to prep food so there isn’t as much to do the day of.
“Everything can be made ahead! The gravy can be made in advance, and you’re done. You can make that up to a week ahead,” she told Publishers Weekly in 2014. “Instead of stuffing, I always make bread pudding. I assemble the whole dish, and put it in the fridge.”
As for preparing the mashed potatoes right before dinner begins, Garten makes them in one big batch.
“We all think you have to make mashed potatoes right before. But I put them in a gratin dish, sprinkle on Parmesan cheese, and put it in the oven, and it’s fantastic,” she said.
Take one or all of these Thanksgiving tips from Garten and remember her motto that parties are more fun when the host isn’t stressed.
