As the holiday season is a time for giving thanks and showing gratitude, I realized I have reason to be grateful for gnomes. No, I’m not setting up a joke, I promise. One of my mom’s favorite things was collecting gnome figurines, specifically the Cairn gnomes sculpted by Tom Clark. My dad secretly spent the year looking for the limited editions and would give them to her for Christmas. The gnome named “Claude,” which she got to remind her of me, is one of the figurines I kept to remember her. As it happens, in my professional life, a mentor responsible for a large part of my education is also a fan of gnomes. Master Sommelier Jesse Becker, who I would taste with on my study trips to Chicago, has always been a lover of and expert in German and Austrian wine. Recently he had the opportunity to collaborate with winery owner Christian Ress and winemaker Markus Huber on his own Grüner Veltliner. In a season where foods are varied, and you need a crisp, crowd-pleasing white wine, Jesse and Markus found the right combination to create just that. Flavors of fresh citrus, watercress, and a hint of arugula hit all the right spots. And on the label, a modest gnome (a bit like Jesse) quietly proud of his work. It would be a favorite of mine even if I didn’t know Jesse, and hopefully it will become a favorite of yours. 121883