Outd r Adventures

By By Jeremiah Dawson Owner, Vino per Tutti

We think it’s a fair statement to make that many, if not all, of us that call this gorgeous place home love being outdoors, and this is arguably the best time to be out and active. Here are some of our favorite pairings with some of our favorite activities.

FLOATING, FISHING & OTHER RIVER ACTIVITIES

We love a beverage by the river, really any body of water, and we’re not throwing shade on a good IPA, but sometime we just want something different. Spritzers are good but at this point we are over the claws, our replacement is a sake based spritzer. Social is our go-to brand right now, they’re crisp and clean, low alcohol, and have a light natural flavoring. We also love the Ramona spritz, these little cans are organic wine based and come in a range from rosé to Amarino, their riff on an Aperol Spritz. All are just so refreshing…and the best part is that the cans are easy and quick to chill, don’t take up much room for packing in and out, and of course don’t risk breaking and hurting someone or damaging a boat, etc.

PORCH & PICNIC TABLE ACTIVITIES

Does anything really beat just grilling and chilling during the summer? It’s great to just get together and enjoy friends, food, and libations! We like to have something light and easy and something a bit more hearty for these gatherings. For light and easy we absolutely LOVE a crisp bottle of sparkling rosé. It doesn’t have to be Champagne, actually I would lean more towards a flirty and easy bottle of sparkling Pinot Noir from Germany or the USA like the Villa Wolf or the St. Vincent. They’re both so food friendly but so refreshing they’re great on their own. And for when the sun goes down and things get a bit more chilly, or for those hearty foods coming off the grill, we love an earthy red. A northern California Syrah, like the Balletto, has the deep fruits, earthy, and spice to play well with foods like ribs and burgers; and a Super Tuscan is our go-to if you want to be a bit more boujee. Our favorite right now is the 2010 Guado de Gemoli, it doles out deep red fruits and dusty earth with a lifted acidity and velvety tannins that make it great for the grill foods and just sipping as the night winds down. If you want to be a bit more playful, a Gamay and a hot dog are hard to beat, we really think this is one of the most under-theradar pairings there is.

HIKING & CAMPING

Heading out to spend the weekend or longer camping or hiking feels to us like the ultimate summer excursion. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a pack full of everything you need, are making a small trek to a forest service cabin, or are just out for a day hike and picnic weight and space are big considerations. Bottles are heavy and too easy to break, cans are much better but can still be space hogs, so we love a good boxed beverage for these types of adventures. Our trick is to break down and recycle the box and just take the bag along for the adventure. Yeah, still somewhat heavy, but after a few days the weight really falls off and so many great wines come in boxes!

Whatever adventure or beverage you choose…cheers to you and simply getting out and enjoying friends, family, and this incredible place we call home.