At some point you have to put down the wine glass and pick up a stein. There's no better time to do this than Oktoberfest. Now that the city mayor of Munich burst open the barrel of beer and handed the Bavarian governor a frothy glass, Oktoberfest is in full swing, and with the great selection of Oktoberfest beers at ABC and authentic German food available at your local grocery store, you can enjoy Oktoberfest at home--no passport or plane ticket required!

I decided to celebrate with the Hacker-Pschorr Original Oktoberfest from Munich, Germany. They have been brewing beer since 1417, and it is still made in accordance with the German Law of Purity, established in 1516. (On a side note, Josephine Pschorr, the daughter of Gorge and Juliane Pschorr, married Franz Strauss and gave birth to the famous composer Richard Strauss.)

The Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest pours a dark amber color, and has a nice, rich maltiness with a clean, hoppy finish. It is an uncomplicated beer, with 5.8% alcohol, perfect for pairing with sausages and jager schnitzel with a side of spätzel and red cabbage with apples. 

For those of you that just can't put the wine glass down, I would suggest trying the 2013 "Joy" Spätlese ([SHPAYT-lay-zuh] meaning "late harvest") Riesling from Mosel, Germany. This wine was created by Brad Lewis and Johannes Selbach exclusively for ABC. It's a perfect match for pork dishes (think pork chops and apple sauce) with juicy apple and tropical fruit notes but not too sweet with moderate acidity to give it a refreshing finish.

Enjoying this wonderful time of year, doesn't get any easier than that.

Prost!

Heather Hitson, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine consultant - The Villages