The “dog days of summer” brings about thoughts of long summer days sipping chilled bottles of wine, evenings around a bonfire or a celebratory occasion, such as a wedding with glasses clinking a toast of well-wishes. As we find ourselves in the midst of the dog days of summer, we’ve collected a few of our favourite summertime pairings, yes, we even include wine and ice cream.
Ice Cream and Wine? Yes Please!
One of your favourite childhood treats grows up as a simple and delicious dessert when paired with a glass of wine. Not sure? Give these pairings a try:
Chocolate – LOLA Nero Red Sparkling VQA
Vanilla – Lighthouse Semi-Sweet Riesling VQA
Butter Pecan or Pralines & Cream – Vinedressers Chardonnay VQA
Mint Chocolate Chip – Shiraz Cabernet
Berry Sherbert or Sorbet – LOLA Blush Sparkling Rosé VQA
BBQ Favourites
The smell of the BBQ fired up brings us back to summer. Outdoor entertaining is easy when even the cooking is takes place outside. It also let’s the Grillmaster be a part of the festivities while prepping the meal. With the incredible range of BBQs for your summer time, outdoor cooking, the food possibilities are endless. We bring it back to the basics with some of our favourite BBQ and wine matches.
Burgers – Baco Noir VQA
Chicken – Blanc de Blanc VQA
Steak – J.S. Hamilton Red VQA
Fish – Lighthouse Sauvignon Blanc VQA
Veggies – Lighthouse Cabernet Franc VQA
Heading to a BBQ and not sure what’s on the menu? Graffiti Pinot Grigio and Graffiti Cabernet Sauvignon are perfect to tag along for your pairings or as a thank you to your host.
Cheers to the Happy Couple
Love is in the air this summer! Weddings often include a sparkling wine as a post ceremony sipper or at the dinner table for toasting. Traditionally it would be Champagne or Secco but with the rise in popularity of sparkling rosé, we’ve seen this be chosen as the bubbly of choice. What would we suggest?
All Dressed Up – Secco VQA & Bella Sparkling Red VQA
Outdoor in the Vineyard Style – Make it individual with each guest receiving their own LOLA Blush Sparkling Rosé VQA or LOLA Secco VQA 250mL aluminum bottle. We love the moments that brides and grooms are creating with these. From part of the place setting, to after ceremony sippers, these are becoming a wedding favourite.
What Are the Dog Days?
An expression that many are familiar with but where did it begin?
“The dog days refer to Sirius, the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major, which means “big dog” in Latin and is said to represent one of Orion’s hunting dogs.
To the Greeks and Romans, the “dog days” occurred around the time Sirius appears to rise alongside the sun, in late July in the Northern Hemisphere. They believed the heat from the two stars combined is what made these days the hottest of the year, a period that could bring fever or even catastrophe. In 2021, the dog days span from July 3 to August 11.” – National Geographic
Cheers!
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📸 Header photo – Angie Taylor