Sipping & S’mores

By Maureen C. Petrosky

Warm nights around a campfire, with twinkling fireflies and glowing lanterns, are about as nostalgic as one can get. Add a great glass of wine and you’re off to a great start to making more memories. Yet, swirling wine with a face full of smoke from the fire pit isn’t my ideal downtime. Here’re a few tips to let you enjoy this summer fun and your wine at the same time. A few lessons we’ve learned to avoid a full on smoke- out:

1) Make sure your fire is safely situated away from your home, and that includes your deck.

2) If you do not have a built-in fire pit, avoid placement directly on the grass. A large piece of slate or other rock base is much more visually appealing than an expanding patch of dead lawn.

3) Don’t burn wet wood. This is sure to force you from the fireside and most likely will smoke out your nearest neighbor, not to mention it’s so not S’more friendly.

Maybe you’ll be congregating with friends around a custom fire pit or simply sharing a log while toasting marshmallows with the kids; either way, the light from the flickering flames and smoky aromas from the fire create the perfect ambiance for a toast to summer.

A Sip For S’mores- Willakenzie Estate Pinot Noir, Estate Cuvee, 2007, $22, is a fun pair with warm S’mores. Simply made with Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate, graham crackers and lightly roasted marshmallows, this sweet treat goes beautifully with the Pinot. Together they tasted like chocolate cherry cordials. The chocolate was bitter and the wine had the acidity to take it like a champ- an adult indulgence for the kid at heart!