If you’re like most people — including this one — you’ve already broken any New Year’s Resolutions you may have made. So don’t beat yourself up over it; you’re among friends!
A much more manageable approach is to make monthly resolutions that need to be achieved only one time in order to be “kept.”
I’m proud to say that I’m already one-for-one. For January, I resolved to open a chilled bottle of white wine on a cold day — and that chilled Chardonnay paired quite well with a bowl of cream of mushroom soup.
Now it’s on to the rest of the resolutions for the rest of the year…
* FEBRUARY — Resolve to visit a “BYOB” restaurant and bring along a bottle of Vinesse-procured wine. Be sure to inquire about the restaurant’s corkage policy when you make your reservation.
* MARCH — Resolve to resist the pressure to drink green beer on St. Patrick’s Day. Instead, opt for a glass (or two) of wine.
* APRIL — Resolve to organize your wine cellar or dust your wine rack on a rainy April afternoon.
* MAY — Resolve to cut a fresh bouquet of spring flowers for your dining room table, and then open a bottle of wine that’s known for its floral aroma… such as Viognier or Pinot Noir.
* JUNE — Resolve to visit a winery. Now that there are wineries in all 50 states and the country is opening back up, chances are there’s a winery not far from you that’s staffed by folks who will be very happy to see you.
* JULY — Resolve to once again break with tradition and, instead of buying beer for your backyard barbecue, open a bottle of wine. Zinfandel would be a tasty choice; so would an herb- and spice-framed red blend from the Rhone.
* AUGUST — Resolve to try a red wine with fish (Pinot Noir with salmon is an amazing match). Likewise, resolve to try a white wine with meat (a buttery Chardonnay pairs nicely with a sizzling steak slathered with garlic butter).
* SEPTEMBER — Resolve to think a good thought for America’s grape farmers as the harvest season kicks into high gear.
* OCTOBER — Resolve to cook with your Significant Other. Look for recipes that call for wine as one of the ingredients, and then drink your “cooking wine” with the dish you’ve prepared.
* NOVEMBER — Resolve to open several bottles on Thanksgiving. Since there is no single bottling that is “perfect” for Turkey Day, why not enjoy more than one?
* DECEMBER — Resolve to keep a bottle of your “good stuff” within easy reach of the mistletoe.
Then start working on your monthly New Year’s Resolutions for 2022.
