When you hear "Austria," your mind might drift to the soaring notes of The Sound of Music, or the snow-capped Alps glittering in the sun. But while those hills are indeed alive with music and beauty, they are not home to vineyards. The heart of Austrian wine lies not in the west, where the Alps dominate, but in the east, where the hills roll gently and the Danube River snakes its way through valleys steeped in history and vines.

Let’s talk about the phrase “room temperature.” Honestly, is this really a universally understood thing? For many of us, it’s that perfect temperature where you can walk around the house in your underwear, binge-watching TV, and not feel too hot or too cold. It’s comfort, it’s balanced—but it's not exactly scientific. And that’s kind of the problem.

When planning your Thanksgiving table, German and Austrian wines might not be the first to come to mind, but they offer some of the best pairings for the season. Both regions have rich winemaking traditions tied to the harvest, and their wines are known for their bright acidity, fruit-forward flavors, and elegant structures—perfect for complementing the diverse dishes of a Thanksgiving meal.

At first glance, New Zealand’s wine offerings might seem fairly limited, particularly dominated by the Sauvignon Blanc varietal. Despite producing just about 1% of the world’s wine, New Zealand has made an iconic impact with names like "Kim Crawford" and "Cloudy Bay." Sauvignon Blanc has become synonymous with New Zealand, much as Malbec has with Argentina, leaving France to say, “But it was here first!”