What a whirlwind of a weekend! May is upon us, and with it the start of summer festival season, which I couldn’t be happier about. I have a penchant for unique jewelry, and like nothing better than wandering about through booths of local artisans in search of new things to add to my collection–glass of wine in hand of course! True, my room is starting to to look a lot like Ariel’s grotto, but at least no Jamaican Rasta crabs have showed up yet.

Plus how could I NOT buy these??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I paired my festival meanderings with two wines:

Cupcake Prosecco

Holy sparkling citrus Batman! Lovely grapefruit, lime, and honeydew on the nose, with bright, fresh, lemony meringue notes on the palate. If a cream soda and a lemon tree had a love child, it would be this wine.

This is a fruity bubbler, but not particularly sweet–in fact, I noted it as quite a bit drier than most proseccos. They also used it for mimosas at the festival, which is a great idea I’ll likely steal. I have a surplus of blood oranges thanks to a friend’s overabundant tree, and this would be ideal to add in to a nice pitcher of their juice for brunch this week.

I also see it pairing perfectly with prosciutto wrapped melon balls, or peppery guacamole and chips, and ceviche. Delicious and pretty, this was a lovely start to the day’s wanderings, and would make a lovely hostess gift for a girl’s night out dinner party.  I’ll definitely be introducing this one into my summer wine rotation.

 

Hecht & Bannier Languedoc Rosé 2011

The 2010 vintage received 91 points from Robert Parker, and I was definitely in the mood for a nice chilled rosé given the 85 degree sunny spring weather we’ve been lucky enough to enjoy in the Bay Area. A blend of  Syrah, Grenache, and Cinsault, this wine is full of lilac, tart cherry, and melon on the nose. The palate is round, with full cherry and tropical flavors balanced by a lovely mineral finish.

Although I usually prefer my rosés more bouncy with fruit, the Hecht & Bannier’s minerality was incredibly refreshing, which also contributes to a greater versatility in pairing. I could easily serve this as an apéritif, or with grilled salmon and summer squash.

The best part of both? They’re about $10 each. I love great bargain wines–it means I have more room in my budget to spend on local artisans!  Cheers to that!