As the weather cools and the time for campfires and backyard grilling returns, choosing the right wine to pair with your outdoor feasts becomes essential. Consider key wine characteristics like acidity, flavor intensity, fruitiness, body weight, and alcohol content when making your selections. High-acid wines, such as Sauvignon Blanc, can cleanse the palate, while fuller-bodied reds, like Zinfandel or Malbec, stand up to bold grilling rubs and sauces. Because wine can often play the dominant role in pairings, balance its flavors against the richness of grilled dishes. This way, each sip and bite enhances the other, making for a perfect evening around the fire.

Last week on Thursday, City Vino was honored by Fredericksburg’s Mainstreet with a ribbon cutting for a grand opening. It was humbling to see how many showed up in support of Rita Allan and City Vino. What more fitting thing to do than it is to saber a bottle of Isaac Fernandez Biutiful Cava NV. Thank you Sherrie Shaw for capturing the moment!

Along with cars and boats, wine is yet another inanimate object that is often anthropomorphized, meaning it is ascribed to human characteristics. People frequently describe wine in terms that evoke human qualities, such as calling a wine "elegant," "bold," or "youthful." This anthropomorphism can enhance the enjoyment and appreciation of wine, as it adds a layer of personality and character to the tasting experience.

The Wild White, better known as Sauvignon Blanc, is one of the most widely planted grapes around the globe, having acreage in almost every wine region in the world because of its wide range of flavors, depending on the terroir. The grape is related to Traminer, and originates in the south of France. Depending on the environment in which the grapes are grown, and on how ripe the grapes are at harvest, the flavor profile can range from fruits of lime, green apple, and passion fruit, to white peach. What makes Sauvignon Blanc unique from other white wines are the complimentary herbaceous flavors like bell pepper, jalapeño, gooseberry, and grass. These characteristics come from aromatic compounds called pyrazines, and the secret to its signature style.