Aaahh, fall. In the throes of football season and finding ways to force myself to be remotely interested in it so Christian can get his college football fix.

A few ways to keep the ladies interested (unless you’re a huge football lover in which case, good for you!) – why not have a little wine tasting or pairing at home?

One of mine and Christian’s favorite things to do when we have guests over is to host our own little wine tasting. When we were in Southern California, it wasn’t as easy to hop in the car and get to wine country, so we would purchase a sparkling wine, a few whites and a few reds.  I’d look up the information on each wine and the tasting notes, and then we could conduct our own little blind tasting for guests!

You could totally do this with Cupcake Vineyards’ vast array of varieties, and the best part is that you can do this no matter where you live!  How fun to have a dinner party and wine tasting!?  And the price point is excellent for a party tasting.

But let’s change gears to pairing.  For today’s pairing, I’ve pulled out my Cupcake Vineyards Monterey County Chardonnay. This particular Chardonnay has notes of apple, lemon and vanilla with a hint of toasted almond, and is a great wine to pull out for light bites and appetizers.  Hello, game day wine!

My favorite way to serve a light, crisp Chardonnay like this one is with fresh fruit and vegetables.  The freshness complements each other so nicely.  It also pairs well with saltier snacks like chips and dip, nuts and cheese and crackers.  If you were serving this wine with dinner, it would be fabulous with any fish, grilled chicken or a silky, creamy pasta!

photos by Meg Stone

sweater | denim | earrings | wine glass | picnic basket

 Are you a wine drinker or football lover? Better yet, have you tried Cupcake Vineyards before? I remember the first time I ever had it, at my friend Anna’s house in Dallas.  So delicious I can remember my first sip (clearly a wine lover over here)!

Thanks so much for reading and sharing, and if you have pairing favorites, I’d love to hear! XO –

brought to you by Cupcake Vineyards