Thanksgiving is a time for coming together, celebrating abundance, and sharing a meal full of comforting flavors. The variety on the table—from roasted turkey to tart cranberry sauce, rich casseroles, and buttery sides—can make wine pairing feel overwhelming. But choosing the right bottles doesn’t have to be complicated. With a little thought, you can select wines that enhance the food and the mood, making your holiday gathering even more special.
Australia’s wine history is only about 200 years old, dating back to its colonial times. Admiral Arthur Phillip departed Portsmouth, England, on May 13, 1787, heading to what became Sydney, to establish a British penal colony. In 1788, the initial settlement was erected. The Admiral took vine cuttings with him in an effort to encourage some high society growth. Wine exported to England could make for a lucrative business. After administrative success, the Admiral was promoted to be the first Governor of New South Wales, but his wine fields failed miserably.
Last year, the 700 block of Caroline decided to collaborate with each other during the Christmas holiday season. As a way of promoting each other, Chris Allen, of Duly Noted, suggested a cookie crawl where customers would purchase a tin and then collect their cookies along the path of participating businesses. Having sold out of tickets, Chris decided to take this idea to a much bigger platform. Chris is also the Executive Director of Mainstreet, which is a national nonprofit organization that focuses on the economic improvements of historical downtowns.
Many of us will be hitting the road this holiday season, and traveling near or far to celebrate the holidays with family and friends. In this “spirit” City Vino presents some wines to bring along with you to gift or share. We are calling these selections the “Nifty Gifty” wines.
Have you ever put a glass of wine up to your nose and noticed prominent aromas of flower, and wondered those notes come from? I can, with good conscience, confirm that floral scents in wine DO NOT come from a winemaker dipping an extra-large tea bag of dried flower petals into their tank or barrel of wine. The answer to the question, “Well, from where then?” is chemistry. I know that your eyes are now glazing over, and you are being flooded with memories of high school lab, and the smell of burning sulfur is filling your nostrils and making you cough. Bear with me, okay?
