There are grapes in the world that are planted in a wide range of environments. This is an absolute understatement. Of this vastness is a small number of varieties that have easily traveled from their homelands and have been planted around the world. Why? Because they are proven grapes that can produce high-quality wines and are not too fussy about where they are planted.

Last week, we presented wines from Italy to pair with the food on your Thanksgiving table. This week, we are travelling to Eastern Europe in order to bring some new and interesting options to your holiday feast. A visit to Eastern Europe must include wines made from grapes local to the region. Off we go.

The winery’s location will determine under what wine laws it may choose to participate. Wine laws are meant to strengthen the branding relationship between winery and consumer, by informing the customer what level of quality, approved varietal used, and production methods were imposed to produce a bottle of wine. Austria imposed a three-tiered quality level system:

Good Day, City Vino, fans! Your somewhat humble (sorta, kinda) blog writer, Kathy, is glad to be back writing after a several week health hiatus. Yes, it started with mild COVID, which I had managed to elude for two and a half years. Then on its heels, a severe sinus infection chaser. My sense of smell and taste were altered for a good three weeks, but it’s all coming back to me, so let’s get to it and talk wine! Woo!