Planning for holiday gatherings can be stressful and complicated, so we wanted to take some of the stress out of your beverage shopping with our Thanksgiving Beverage Guide. Whether you’re planning for two or 20, we’re here help you choose the perfect lineup. Below you will find our quick list of sure-fire winning drinks for your Thanksgiving meal. And, as always, the F44 staff is here to help you select your wine, beer, and spirits for any occasion! Stop by this week and let us help you find the perfect bottles. 

by Adam

The last few days aside, fall weather is here and winter is coming. The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting longer and colder. “Hunker down” season is upon us in the upper midwest. If you’re a seasonal drinker like myself, you start to move away from the crisp acidic white wines of summer, and find yourself roaming the aisles of France 44 looking for a good bottle of red wine. Austria may not be a country you think of when you are searching for that bottle of wine, but it probably should be. 

This week we are featuring three red wines from Austria made from the lesser known grapes: Blaufrankish, Zwiegelt, and St Laurent. Though the three wines are made from different grapes and each offers its own unique nuances, in a broad sense these wines are just right for this time of year. They have the right amount of fruit balanced by the perfect amount of earthy tones. They have the right amount of acid while also having soft rounded tannin. In terms of a seasonal beverage, you could say these wines are very much like the third bowl of porridge in the story of Goldilocks, everything about them is just right.

by Amy

In case you missed it, we hosted the most bewitching class at TMORA last week.  Focused on the immigrant story or Dr. Konstantin Frank, we went into a deep exploration of the Finger Lakes wine regions of New York.  An area of small, family-operated producers with a rich history of quality winemaking, dating back to the middle of the 19th century.  A place for nature, generous hospitality and fine wine.  An esteemed American wine region and yet, it’s rare that I encounter anyone who has made the trek.  I was in the same boat until my visit in May made me a proud ambassador for this enchanting wine region.   

I admit that before my visit, I knew very little about these lakes.  Located south of Lake Ontario, these 11 ‘finger’ lakes are the direct result of glacial activity some 2 million years ago.  This activity, carved out long, narrow, deep lakes that stretch north to south like fingers reaching up to Lake Ontario.  The extreme depth of these lakes (Seneca is 630 feet deep!) creates a moderating climatic influence on the vineyards of the region.  This special lake effect helps make viticulture possible.  

Grape growing here is diverse with a mix of American, Hybrid and European varieties planted throughout.  Concord (as in Welch’s grape juice) is the most widely planted grape but last week’s class centered on Dr. Konstantin Frank’s efforts to successfully grow European (Vinifera) grapes in the region.  He’d had great success with these grapes in Ukraine and had the foresight to push for them in the Finger Lakes too.  Now well-established with European varieties like Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay: Riesling has become the region’s calling card and it’s no secret that I LOVE Riesling.  

While there, I also fell in love with the natural beauty of the region, good food and warmhearted hospitality.  Vineyards and tasting rooms, usually run by the owner or family themselves, are intermixed throughout the countryside with waterfalls, forests and hiking trails. My highlights were Taughannock Falls state park on Cayuga Lake (see picture), Lakewood Vineyards & Tasting Room and Graft Wine & Cider Bar both on Seneca Lake.