Wine and dining outdoors at home

After my most recent post, I should quickly say that I find dining outdoors when at home much more sensible (except when it’s too darn hot).

Grill up some burgers or steaks, open up the Cotes-du-Rhone and, ah, bliss on the back deck, surrounded by trees, plants and the open sky.

The same tips as above still apply, especially about the temperature. If you are going to be dining outside a lot in the summer, invest in ice buckets and those ceramic or plastic ice-less coolers. Use small glasses and/or small pours so the wine does not get too hot.

To my mind, the best all-purpose summer wines to keep at home are roses from the south of France. Throw in some Loire whites (Muscadet or Sauvignon Blanc), some Provence and Rhone reds and a basic sparkler (Blanquette de Limoux, prosecco, cava) and your basic summer cellar is all set.