Monday, July 27, 2020

Wines of Summer -





Monday afternoon.
Temperature 94F - clouding up but doubtful it will rain.
We watered everything at 8:00 AM - sadly the garden is withering fast.

Sometimes, when enjoying a chilled glass . . . . . . or two, I think "let's throw 
caution to the wind and kill the entire bottle."
On these hot, very humid mid-summer days with nowhere to go, one could
 do just that. No need to get in the car and drive. Not wrong to be giggling or
 appearing somewhat unsteady on the old legs. . . . . nobody's looking or caring.
But I can't say I've ever done that, finished an entire bottle of
 wine myself. . . in one sitting!

Bob has cut back drastically on wine consumption in these past months.
He does enjoy a beer some days but drinks mostly water. 
That's really good and definitely healthy, but does make me feel somewhat
 guilty chilling a glass and popping a cork.

Do you enjoy wine?  
I admit that I do and usually enjoy a glass with dinner, and these tropical
afternoons sometimes sip one on the porch before dinner!
We buy wines which look interesting when grocery shopping mostly.  
We have our wine rack stocked with reds but now, for summer drinking, 
we fill our small second fridge with rosé and
Sauvignon Blanc, with a bottle of champagne thrown in ready for 
some kind of special celebration. . . . . if one shows up which is doubtful
these days.

I have to add here that this past week I enjoyed a fabulous
rosé wine from the Veneto area of ITALY!  

Veneto is the eighth largest region of Italy and has more than 90,000 hectares

 of vineyards, of which 35,400 are of DOC status. A rich hunting ground for

 the thirsty traveller, it is home to the Soave DOC, famous for its dry whites

 made from Garganega, and the Valdobbiadene DOCG region, world famous for

 its Prosecco . . . . . 

. . . . . . .and also for some great rosé wines.


Tesoro Della Regina - unusual in a shorter, fatter bottle ($13.99) -
more robust than many rosés, fruity and dry, delicious well chilled
(always chill your glass too!).
 Recommended by the manager of our nearby Total Wine store,
it's the best rosé I've tasted this summer.


Ah Venice - to spend time admiring your beauty again would be wonderful.


Bob in Venice - October 2012
One of my favorite photos of Bob - he says the beer was OK too!  

CHEERS!

...........and Bob!


17 comments:

  1. I do enjoy a chilled wine, every now and then. I am not fond of reds as they tend to give me heartburn. It's hot here too and it's starting to get humid. The perfect weather for not doing anything except reading.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Loree, you are spot on here for the hot weather - reading is definitely the most comfortable pastime when in a cool place under a fan - I'm enjoying several books.

      Delete
  2. Sauvignon Blanc is my wine of choice Mary, just a glass as the day draws to a close. Malcolm prefers a good Cotes de Rhone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cheers dear friend - you've been on my mind as I'm reading The Salt Path which of course is taking me along the Cornish coast - what a story!
      Stay safe!

      Delete
  3. We do enjoy wine and rose is perfect for summer. We also enjoy a great martini! Great picture of Bob.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hoping we will be taking photos together again soon - missing seeing you both and raising a glass together!

      Delete
  4. Wow - your weather is hot - we are at 82 today and yesterday - and then cooling a bit - don't miss the hot weather of the desert. It is pleasant in the late afternoon to evening so we eat on the deck every day. I like a really cold glass of water - one of life's great pleasures for me. Great photo of Bob.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree about water JoAnn - I keep my bottle topped up with slices of lemon and lime added -
      most refreshing!

      Delete
  5. We like our rosé wines icy, too, but we never chill the glasses - good idea! O.K. and I easily finish an entire bottle over an evening meal in summer, provided O.K. does not have to drive afterwards. On walks, shandy is our preferred drink when we stop somewhere - and of course we always have plenty of water with us for walking/hiking.
    On my own, I never have any alcoholic drink; it is just one of my personal principles but does not mean I think any less of people who do open a bottle just for themselves.
    Just recently I have begun to make large jugs of chilled peppermint tea, so refreshing when I return from an after-work walk in the sun!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Enjoyed your comment Meike - hope we can sit and enjoy a drink some day - the peppermint tea must be delicious on a very hot day. I make a cooling non-alcoholic drink too, Elderflower cordial (from England) mixed with sparkling water or soda water, lots of ice cubes, sipped through a straw. Need a lot of that these terribly hot days - hovering around 100F again today!

      Delete
  6. Ah that photo takes me back instantly to Venice. We were there in 2014 and from our hotel looked straight across at that view. I would love to go back one day, although that seems doubtful at the moment. Sure is hot over there, and I'm glad you have some nice wine to cool down. I love a glass of champagne or white wine, but not red. But a Rose from Venice, that sounds very appealing. Be cool, and safe. xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Raising a glass to Venice - and you Patricia - this scorcher of a day! Some day we hope to travel again and I would love to return to Italy.
      Stay safe - things have to get better!

      Delete
  7. What a great picture of Bob!

    Yes, I'm a wine drinker. I prefer reds, but like you, this summer I've been drinking whites and rose. I buy wines from recommendations I see in magazines or from friends; I've bought at wine tastings; recommendations from the clerks in the liquor store; or even simply because the beautiful artwork on the label or a unique name caught my eye! I recently bought a white wine from a wine shop (couldn't find it in stores) called Slo Jams. It has colorful cassette tapes on the label. Look it up, it's so cool! I first tasted that wine at a wine bar last year.

    Sorry to say, but I don't like champagne. I don't like any fizzy drinks.

    Brian's not much of a wine drinker or even just a drinker in general. He'll have a glass of white wine or a beer here and there.

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dear Mary,
    Your chilled wine bottle looks so inviting. Bob looks perfectly happy with a glass of beer. And who can complain when Venice is just in the background. Yes I have put away an entire bottle of champagne all by myself. But even better than drinking it by myself Mr G and I would sometimes drink two bottles of champagne. The most exciting and wonderful trip plans were always the result.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I LOVE wine Mary !!! Every now and again, I stop for a while ..... I haven’t had any wine since May but it won’t be long before I’m back drinking it. I just like to have a break now and again. Young people here are drinking Orange wine instead of rose for the Summer ..... it’s very trendy at the moment. It’s a white wine made orange by leaving the skins and seeds in when it’s fermenting. Look out for it for a change ! Love that photograph of Bob ..... and Venice is our favourite holiday destination. XXXX

    ReplyDelete
  10. Cheers Mary and Bob! I do enjoy wine, I proudly call myself a "wino" lol...I do sometimes drink nearly a bottle a day. It's too easy. "Rain" glasses of wine are large ones ha ha! I have one in the afternoon, one before dinner and during dinner and presto! The bottle is nearly empty! Most days I'll drink about half a bottle and honestly, I feel I digest better, my anxiety is lower and I'm overall happier. I hate feeling out of control though, so I'm careful not to drink too much. I like to drink Chardonnay because I feel it's less acidic than the other whites and it doesn't give me heartburn. Also I buy from countries that have long sunny seasons - again to cut down on the grape acidity. My faves are Aussies and Californian. Red...I LOVE the Italian Puglia region for wines. Not a fan of French wines, I find them a little vinagery! :) Okay that's Rain's wine lesson for the day lol! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are my friend! I love Chardonnay, I have a glass at 5, then another one while making or finishing dinner, low and behold the rest goes with dinner! Hubby has a strong Gin and tonic and then red wine with dinner. Covid has us spending more time together, no guests, and more time over wine and food. Our entertainment! 77 years of age, good health and 56 years of marriage, seems to be working. Hubby is mountain climbing in Co. this week.

      Delete

I would enjoy reading your comment - thanks so much for stopping by.