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.
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.
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.
The winery’s location will determine what wine laws it may choose to participate under. 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.
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.
