Our team’s been traveling the world this summer, and doing what we do best: seeking out great food and drinks on the way. We’re excited to share some of our adventures with you!
Joy: Alto Adige, Italy
“I visited Alois Lageder in Alto Adige, Italy, in June. Such a beautiful biodynamic winery, and I had a fantastic tasting experience! Their philosophy, “Diversity is key,” really stood out to me. While staying true to their unique terroir, they’re also adapting and experimenting with different grape varieties to find what works best to match local microclimates. We carry a few of their wines at France44, and they’re all bellissimi! Don’t forget to pick some up to try next time you visit us.” – Joy, Wine Team
Joey: Tuscany & Umbria, Italy
“More than once, I have had a customer tell me about their travels and how I have to go to one particular wine region because ‘It tastes better when you are there.’ Back in July, I went on a food and wine tour of Tuscany and Umbria to put that to the test. One trip to a winery particularly stood out to me: Montioni in Montefalco, which makes wine and olive oil. After an eventful tour of the cellar in which the power went out, it was time for the main event, wine tasting and a lunch pairing. One of the wines we had was a Sagrantino, a wine that I was not very familiar with. A full-bodied, inky wine with notes of black pepper and plums. If you are having a pot roast, this should definitely be a wine on your radar. While delicious, I wanted a crisp white wine to enjoy by the pool of our hotel, so I left with the Grechetto. High-acid, crisp white wine with fresh melon notes; this is exactly what I needed to beat the Umbrian heat. Most importantly, this is the wine I shared with my brand-new fiancé, who I proposed to shortly after leaving the winery. In summary, great food and wine, and got engaged. What more could you ask for from an Italian vacation?” – Joey, Wine Team
Bill: Japan
“Being the France 44 beer buyer, I am contractually obligated to drink beer wherever I travel. Rules are rules and I’m a rule follower. Some of the best pints I’ve ever had were in Japan. The Japanese take great pride in what they do, and beer is no exception. They have perfected the brewing process, and they have mastered how to pour a perfect glass of beer. No matter where you buy a pint, it’s a perfect pour. The foam head is densely thick, and sits on top of the beer like a winter cap. The foam helps keep effervescence and amplifies the flavor of the beer. The Czechs do something similar, as do the Irish with their pints of Guinness. But the Japanese do it so quickly and effortlessly, it’s like watching magic. Pure beer drinking magic.” – Bill, Beer TeamChris: Michigan
Olivia: Sonoma, California
“There was truly nothing like the experience of standing atop a hill and watching the marine layer composed of cool ocean air descend upon a valley full of grape vines. I was fortunate enough to travel with Libation Project this Summer to the Sonoma Coast and visit wineries for the first time in my life, getting to fully realize the scope of what farmers’ and winemakers’ passion looks like and how that translates to a bottle on the shelf. Sitting at a picnic table at Scribe Winery hearing the story of how a pre-prohibition vineyard came into the hands of fourth-generation farmers, Andrew and Adam, put the Pinot Noir swirling around in my glass into perspective. The sense of place, or terroir, is the sum of a multitude of parts and people which can be experienced in the expression of a wine, and the Sonoma Coast wines we carry are a great way to explore that.” – Olivia, Wine Team
Jaclyn: Healdsburg, California
“In April 2026 I visited Healdsburg, CA for the first time. Healdsburg is at the heart of 3 major wine regions or AVAs: Dry Creek Valley, Alexandar Valley and Russian River Valley. This was my first visit to this region, though I’ve been to Napa and Sonoma numerous times. Healdsburg has a laid-back vibe and affordable tastings while still producing top-notch wines! I was especially impressed with the Zinfandels of Dry Creek Valley as well as the numerous opportunities to spend time with the owners/winemakers of some of the wineries we visited. I also enjoy cycling my way through wine country and Healdsburg definitely delivered with a beautiful ride along W. Dry Creek Rd!” – Jaclyn, Wine TeamBennett: Kentucky
“I’ve spent a decade plus at France 44 focusing on my pursuits of beer and wine knowledge, passions that I still love to share with our customers to this day. Never did I expect to one day “complete the trifecta” and shift my focus to the realm of distilled spirits. So far, my favorite part of being a Spirits Buyer is the trips to Kentucky to select barrels of bourbon. I have learned so much from these experiences — about cooperages, barrel char, mash bills, distillation cuts, barrel-entry proof, you name it. To me, the most interesting aspect about barrel selection is how its location in the rickhouse influences the quality of the bourbon inside. The microclimate of that place, the humidity, the diurnal temperature variations, and the unexpected all determining how the bourbon interacts with the oak that surrounds it. Making fine bourbon is clearly an exercise in patience.
Troy: Sonoma, California
“When I look back at why I jumped headfirst into the beverage industry, I’m reminded of what first drew me in, the romance of being in a vineyard, opening a new bottle of wine, and sharing those first sips with friends. There’s a joy in those moments that have stayed with me. Wine has become an obsession for me, not because of consumption, but because of the community of passionate consumers who share my love of traveling to experience the amazing terroir where some of their favorite wines are produced.Anna: Napa, California
“It’s lucky that the products we carry here at France 44 come from some of the most beautiful places on earth. A couple weeks ago, I spent a morning with friends driving through the Napa Valley, and we stopped at Silverado Vineyards (we carry their Sauvignon Blanc!) for a tasting. Compared to the 60º and foggy San Francisco weather, the sun in Napa was just what we needed. And feeling the climate shift in just an hour drive really contextualized the region’s prestige and excellent grape growing conditions. You can read about microclimates, valleys, rivers, and elevation shaping a vineyard, but seeing and feeling those shifts firsthand makes all the difference. It gave me a much better sense of why this relatively small corner of California can produce some of the world’s best wines, and why, no, you can’t simply plant the same grapes 10 miles away and expect them to turn out just as well. The land, the climate, the soil – they all matter just as much as the winemaking process – and the contrast between Napa Valley and San Francisco perfectly exemplified that for me.” – Anna, Marketing
