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A few years ago, Cole Valley resident Mary Burnham, who works as public-relations director for Beam Wine Estates in Healdsburg, bought a few cases of Vinho Verde, stowed the boxes in a closet and declared it her house wine for the summer. An enthusiastic and ebullient hostess, Burnham kept a couple of bottles in the fridge at all times, offering glasses of the tangy Portuguese white wine to her guests as they crossed the threshold. The food-friendly wine also accompanied many a dinner. “It so was perfect for the summer, and people loved it,” Burnham recalls. “Everyone was bummed when I ran out.”
What seems like a simple idea is actually a rather novel one in a city full of oenophiles eager to pour a virtual flight of different wines at every party. As Burnham says, “There are so many wines to try. It’s hard to justify having the same one over and over again.” So often, though, you buy just enough to sample a wine—and then it’s time to move on to the next bottle. Not to mention that supplying a large variety of wines for one dinner is hardly effortless—instead of enjoying the company, you’re worrying about which wine to bring out next.
Burnham suggests choosing a new house wine each season—perhaps a white for spring and summer, and a red for fall and winter. Or get cases of red and white, mixing and matching as the season demands. Beaujolais, served slightly chilled, is a great summer red, for instance, while a honeyed Côtes du Rhône blanc is a perfect winter white. Each year, you’ll get to know a few wines more intimately than you’ve ever known a wine before. It’s a good thing.
A few years ago, Cole Valley resident Mary Burnham, who works as public-relations director for Beam Wine Estates in Healdsburg, bought a few cases of Vinho Verde, stowed the boxes in a closet and declared it her house wine for the summer. An enthusiastic and ebullient hostess, Burnham kept a couple of bottles in the fridge at all times, offering glasses of the tangy Portuguese white wine to her guests as they crossed the threshold. The food-friendly wine also accompanied many a dinner. “It so was perfect for the summer, and people loved it,” Burnham recalls. “Everyone was bummed when I ran out.”
What seems like a simple idea is actually a rather novel one in a city full of oenophiles eager to pour a virtual flight of different wines at every party. As Burnham says, “There are so many wines to try. It’s hard to justify having the same one over and over again.” So often, though, you buy just enough to sample a wine—and then it’s time to move on to the next bottle. Not to mention that supplying a large variety of wines for one dinner is hardly effortless—instead of enjoying the company, you’re worrying about which wine to bring out next.
Burnham suggests choosing a new house wine each season—perhaps a white for spring and summer, and a red for fall and winter. Or get cases of red and white, mixing and matching as the season demands. Beaujolais, served slightly chilled, is a great summer red, for instance, while a honeyed Côtes du Rhône blanc is a perfect winter white. Each year, you’ll get to know a few wines more intimately than you’ve ever known a wine before. It’s a good thing.
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