This is without a doubt my favorite time of year! As each perennial pushes through the dirt to return for another season, I’m reminded of the absolute beauty of this earth! Such gifts!

Someone asked the other day what the steps are to tasting and evaluating wine. Temperature is very important. I prefer sparkling and light-bodied wines to be quite cold, somewhere around 40 to 50 degrees; if your white isn’t cold enough, give it a short dunk in ice water. Richer whites and rosés can be a little warmer, between 50 and 60 and reds between 60 and 65.

There are four easy steps to tasting: swirl, sniff, swish, and swallow! Pour your glass of wine, set it on a table and give it a swirl. That will release some of the aromas. Next, sniff – a good, deep, healthy sniff! Tip the glass and put your nose in it! Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. What do you smell? Flowers? Grapefruit? Red fruits? Take a sip and swish it around in your mouth or purse your lips and take in some air before swallowing. You want the wine to fill every corner of your mouth. Now comes the fun part – swallow! It’s great to try this with friends so that you can share your thoughts on aroma and taste. The more you try it, the more developed your sense of taste will become. Yet another reason to enjoy wine regularly!

Above all, drink what you like. Someone might suggest a bottle they love and when you try it, you’re disappointed. That’s fine – we can’t all like the same things. The point is to be adventurous and try different varietals and appreciate their unique qualities.

Enjoy the sunshine! As always, if you have any questions or are looking for something not included in my menus, let me know.