WINE GUILD 2026
Austria: the sound of WINE
May 22 & 26
Austria is home to Mozart’s symphonies, Freud’s psychoanalysis and a few Bond villains. It’s also the setting for the incomparable film classic, The Sound of Music. Today, Austria’s hills are alive … with vineyards producing wines that sing with clarity, precision and deep connection to place
We aren’t as familiar with Austria’s wines as we are those from France and Italy. That’s in keeping with the von Trapp family’s preference for performing in front of small audiences before reaching wider fame.
But once tried, Austrian wines are hard to forget. They invite us in with a sense of place. Families have worked the same vineyards for generations. Its wine culture elevates craft over mass production. That beauty comes from ecological balance. Indeed, Austria’s wine is tied to its landscape, with vines clinging to steep terraces perched above the Danube River.
As for style, Austrian wines are among the most mouthwatering and food-friendly in the world. We’ve seen that quality elsewhere. Austria’s cool climate and large day-night temperature swings are perfect for the long growing seasons that allow grapes to build complexity without sacrificing acidity. You’ll also recognize Burgundian influence that shuns blending.
Most of Austria’s wine is white, led by superstar varietal - and sommelier favorite - Grüner Veltliner. But interest in and production of fruit-driven, medium-weight red wine is growing. As a group, Austrian wines are easy as Do-Re-Mi to enjoy.
In AUSTRIA: THE SOUND OF WINE the Holly Hill Wine Guild will explore these notable wines. The dates are Friday, May 22 and Tuesday, May 26.
It has often been the case that operating in Kentucky has been a limitation on our access to the best wines. But here, we’re fortunate to have access to the best collection of Austrian wines in America. We’ll sample six from the nation’s top producers -- small, family-owned wineries that date back hundreds of years. They share Austria’s highest wine classifications.
Holly Hill Wine Guild tastings take place in the Pavilion Bar at Fasig-Tipton, home to North America’s oldest Thoroughbred auction company. Tastings begin at 7 pm and last one hour. The cost is $40 for members and $45 for nonmembers. When registering, please select the date you want to attend and indicate your status as a HHWG member or non-member.
We also offer an optional $27 dinner buffet served at 6:15 pm.
2026 schedule of Monthly tastings
Holly Hill Wine Guild tastings take place in the Pavilion Bar at Fasig-Tipton. Each month we have two seatings, usually one on a Tuesday and the other on Friday. They begin at 7 pm and last an hour. We also offer optional buffets that start at 6:15 pm. Here is the 2026 program schedule.
SONOMA UNBOUND | JANUARY 13 & 16
From windswept West Sonoma Coast to aptly named Rockpile, from Sonoma Valley’s old vine Zinfandel to Pinot Noir from foggy Russian River vineyards, the winemakers of Sonoma don’t play second fiddle to their celebrated Napa neighbors. We’ll explore their work from Sonoma’s diverse patchwork of valleys, mountains, riverbeds and benchlands.
PIEDMONT: NOT JUST BAROLO | FEBRUARY 17 & 20
Barolo has earned its top billing among Piedmont’s delicious wines. Yet, the region’s talented winemakers produce other terrific sips made from Barbera, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Arneis and other varietals. We’ll cast the spotlight on those worthy alternatives to Barolo, exploring fruit-forward reds, aromatic whites and expressive, ageworthy Barbaresco.
SULTRY SOUTHERN FRANCE | MARCH 10 & 13
The French Mediterranean – the sunny arc from Provence to the Pyrenes – is home to world-famous resorts and delicious red wine. It’s where long, warm, dry growing seasons produce luscious flavors. We’ll taste how Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan and other grapes translate to wines of special-occasion quality at everyday-drinking prices.
REIMAGINING RIOJA | APRIL 14 & 17
Lengthy oak aging of Tempranillo, often in American barrels, is the traditional practice in Rioja. Wines there are classified – Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva – based on that factor alone. But as consumer tastes evolve, Rioja’s producers are instead beginning to emphasize fruit and terroir. We’ll look at the changing identity of an iconic wine region.
AUSTRIA’S GRü-V WINES | MAY 22 & 26
We know the hills are alive in Austria. So are the nation’s acclaimed vineyards. Nestled in the Danube’s historic terraces and those fertile Alpine foothills, Austrian producers craft riveting wines of both power and elegance. We’ll see how purity is their prime aspiration, especially with mouthwatering Grüner Veltliner, one of the world’s great white grapes.
PINK REVOLUTION | JUNE 23 & 26
Ah, rosé. Versatile. Broad appeal. Fast-growing segment of the wine industry. Graduated from trendy to trusted. Provence sets the global standard, but serious, evocative rosé is made across the world. We’ll investigate how different grape varieties, winemaking methods and climate produce compelling wines in beautiful shades of pink.
PEAK PERFORMANCE | JULY 28 & 31
As Argentina’s wine producers plant vineyards farther up the Andes, not only have altitudes hit greater heights, so has the quality of their wine. It turns out, sun intensity and day-night temperature swings produce grapes of concentrated flavor and zesty acidity. We’ll experience these stunning wines from the world’s fifth-most winemaking nation.
WHITE WINES YOU NEED TO KNOW AND PROBABLY DON’T | AUGUST
Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chenin, Pinot Grigio – you know the lineup of usual suspects. Beyond those is a world of less familiar but thrilling white wines from tiny corners of the world. They are shaped by centuries of viticulture, each reflecting a long-lived – and delicious – partnership of grape and origin. We’ll sample six, so you’ll know.
PINOT AND PLACE | SEPTEMBER
Oregon and New Zealand share similar cool climates, the kind recognized as nurturing the world’s best Pinot Noir. Each of these places showcases the grape’s signature bright red fruit, lip-smacking acidity and sensual texture. Still, as we’ll discover, misty Willamette Valley and temperate Central Otago do bear out that subtle differences in terroir matter.
SOUTH OF TUSCANY | OCTOBER
The ancient Greeks didn’t underestimate southern Italy; neither will we. They named the area Oenotria, the land of wine, for its great number of new and fascinating grape varieties. 3,000 years later, the sun-drenched vineyards of Campania, Umbria and Puglia still produce bold, vibrant wines, from crisp, aromatic whites to lush, structured reds.
NAPA VALLEY VISIONARIES | NOVEMBER
The story of Napa Valley wine is part American Dream, part American Eden. Taking advantage of an agricultural paradise, Napa visionaries transformed Prohibition’s basement beverage to global benchmark. From those early trailblazing days to the cutting-edge present, Napa’s producers have pushed boundaries with tasty success.
GRAND FINALE | DECEMBER
We’ll conclude our 2026 program with a tasting of the year’s top wines.
The Holly Hill Wine Guild was founded in 2008 and is directed by Steve Mancuso.
The Holly Hill Inn wine list features owner Chris Michel’s thoughtfully chosen selections and has received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence every year since 2002. Chris is dedicated to finding the best and most interesting wines possible to pair with our seasonal cuisine, and our wine list features stalwarts and upstarts from the Old World and New!