Wine and...Movies: HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (1995)

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A rare Thanksgiving movie in a sea of Xmas movie porn, this is straight up my all-time fave holiday movie. I saw it in the theater back in 1995, and it has stayed with me all these years.

The second directorial effort by Jodie Foster, starring the insane ensemble cast of Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr., Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Geraldine Chapman, Dylan McDermott, Claire Danes, Cynthia Stevenson, and Steve Guttenberg.

We follow a normal American family during a dysfunctional time (as

Dallas Miller

brilliantly put it) for three days - the day before, the day of, and the morning after. Way ahead of its time in tackling issues of political divide, LGBTQ+, single motherhood, and more. It was not a box office success, but has since found its very fervent fans.

THE WINES

Dave’s Pairing

2020 Limnio, Domaine Tatsis, Goumenissa, Macedonia, Greece

Made 100% from the Limnio grape, the oldest recorded blue/black/red grape! Special thanks to

George Nordahl

for turning me on to this grape’s existence! Not to be confused with Limniona, another Greek variety that is genetically a different grape, even though in the past they have been used interchangeably.

This is a Thanksgiving wine if I’ve ever tasted one - light in body, color, not too high in alcohol (13.5%), ripe red fruit, medium but rustic tannis (to hold up to the fatty foods), herbs and minerality. It’s a different expression, but right in line with the usual suspects of Pinot, Gamay, and Tavel.

Read all about Limnio at George’s

Down The Rabbit Hole

Substack:

A Taste of History - Limnio

Dallas’ Pairing

Sparkling Eggnog made with Alexandrie Cellars Brut

Recipe

• 3 and 1/4 cup sparkling or still white wine (Dallas used NV Alexandrie Brut)

• 1/2 cup of sugar

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 8 cardamom seeds

• zest of one good orange

• zest of half good lemon

• half vanilla pod

• 3 cloves

• 8 seeds of all spice

STEP 1: Start pouring the wine of your choice in a large cold pot, then add sugar.

STEP 2: Coarsely crush cloves, all the spice and cardamom, extract the seeds from vanilla and add all the spices to wine.

STEP 3: SLOWLY bring to a boil to keep the carbonation intact. Start heat at level 1. Then increase to 2, then 3, etc. Simmer for 8 minutes, just long enough for the spices to infuse. Then, set aside.

For the eggnog, per serving:

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 spoonful of sugar

• 1/4 cup of spicy mulled wine

STEP 1: Whisk the egg yolk with the sugar; add 1/4 of warm spicy mulled wine.

STEP 2: Cook in a water bath for 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk.

(Eggnog will be ready as soon as it begins to thicken. Be careful not to overcook, or you'll ruin it like you ruin everything.)

STEP 3: Add a sprinkle of white pepper or nutmeg on top. Whipped cream if you’re feeling gluttonous.