Celebrate the Season with Wine

Author:  Krissy Cantelupe

Celebrating is one of my favorite things in the world—whether it’s a birthday, anniversary or just a beautiful spring night, celebrating is fun! And what better way to celebrate than with wine? Here are just a few suggestions to get your party going.
Host a “sangria night” at your house. Include a Taco Bar and have each guest bring one ingredient to make tacos—someone in charge of cheese, ground meat, lettuce, tomatoes, shells, etc. Then as the host, make a big jug of sangria. When your guests arrive, set up the Taco bar and have fun.

Sangria
2 large bottles of White Zinfandel, White Merlot, or even White Shiraz
Half-gallon of juice. I prefer Pineapple Orange or Mango-Strawberry-Orange.
3 oranges and 3 apples, cut up
Mix all ingredients. Chill overnight. Serves 8-10.

Birthdays are another fun way to celebrate, with wine. If you usually go out to dinner, check the newspaper and see if there are any wine tastings at our local restaurants and wine shops. This will give you a nice start to your evening and something to remember. If you prefer to stay in, host a “blind tasting.” Have your guests brown bag a bottle of wine so you don’t know what it is, then get together and try to guess what you are tasting. You can even offer prizes (bottle stoppers, wine keys, cocktail napkins, etc.) for the person who makes the best guesses. When you serve the cake, try all the wines with it to see what pairs the best.
Anniversaries are also a great way to have fun with wine. Start the day by buying a half-bottle of Champagne. Tie a tag on it: “I love you” or “Thinking of You,” and hide it where your significant other can find it—next to the toothpaste is a great location. If you are dining out, contact the restaurant ahead of time, inquire about the wine list and have a bottle of wine waiting for you when you get to the table. It looks like you went through a lot of extra effort, when all it took was one phone call. If you stay in and have an evening at home, splurge and take home a bottle of wine you have been dying to try.
On birthdays, anniversaries, or just random nights when you want to have a good time, wine is a great way to add some life to the party. It’s April. Let the celebrations begin!

1. will have to try this one out ;)

   
   — Stephen Goss    Apr 3, 22:01