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Fall is here and that means it is time to say goodbye to those light, refreshing wines and move onto wines with fuller bodies and richer tastes to compliment those hearty fall foods. The perfect fall wines can go with everything from Halloween treats to your Thanksgiving dinner!

Deep red wines with fruity and spicy flavors such as Red Zinfandel go great with roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, pasta dishes, prime rib and lamb.

Lighter red wines such as Pinot Noir can be paired quite nicely with pot roast, meat loaf, mushrooms and squash.

Sparkling wines are great to sip with salmon, other various types of seafood, spicy foods, and even creamy pasta dishes.

Please share with us your favorite fall wines and pairings!

With summer coming to a close, it’s time to get outside and throw one more BBQ before the cold weather hits!

An impromptu or planned backyard get together can be fun and easy. Here are some tips on how to easily entertain in your very own backyard!

- Having trouble planning the menu? Go with simple, light foods! Lightly dressed salads and burgers will do the trick.
- Serve fruit! Fruit is much more enjoyable in the summer heat as opposed to heavy deserts such as ice cream or cake. Your guests will appreciate the healthy gesture!
- Want to set the mood in your backyard? Whip out a string of paper lanterns or Christmas lights to create a romantic, dreamy atmosphere.
- Worried about entertaining children? Give the kids nets and glass jars for catching fireflies. This can occupy for hours!
- Get creative with your table settings by using items from around your house! Tea-light candles and holders are perfect for setting the mood.
- No need to be stuck washing dishes at the end of the night! Make cleaning up easier by using disposable plates, utensils, cups and napkins.

Remember to be creative! Home entertaining should be fun, not a chore!

Wine & food pairings have always been very popular. Finding the perfect Sauvignon Blanc to go with a delicious pasta dish or a Cabernet Sauvignon to go with a juicy piece of steak seems to be ideal. However, many alcohol drinkers tend to overlook the fact that while wine can bring out essential food flavors so can beer. Choosing a beer that enhances a dish can be just as satisfying, especially if you prefer beer over wine. Here are some basic tips for beer and food pairing.

· Consider all of the factors. Beer characteristics range from sweetness, bitterness and richness. Take advantage of these flavors to insure that the food and beer will stabilize each other.

· Go for ethnicity! Try serving brats with grilled onions paired with a German dark lager or English brown ales with different types of sausage. Different types of American ale are also great for New England clams!

· Don’t serve the same beer you cooked with! If you’re using a robust type of beer to make a soup, try pairing it with a nice, light ale. Mixing the different beers brings more flavors to your food!

· Fruit beers…friend or foe? Sweeter fruit beers are great for pairing with fruit desserts such as soufflé. Even main courses featuring fruit glazes pair nicely. Be sure to remember that fruit beers contain lots of sugar and tend to fill you up much faster!

· Consider the Season! Summer tends to bring light, fresh beers with unique flavors great for light, summer dishes. Winter generally is the season for darker, heavier beers perfect for stews and hearty meats.

Not every pairing you try may work but it can be fun to taste new beers and combinations! Build on flavors that work. Remember that the internet is a great place to research new recipes and pairings!

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At times it can be a daunting task trying to figure out which wine to buy. You want to make sure to pick out that perfect wine that will compliment your food of choice. Figuring out what type of wine to buy is important, but so is how you store it. Without proper wine storage, the longevity and taste of the wine can be affected. Here are some common enemies of wine and how you can avoid them!

· Sunlight: Ultraviolet UV rays can cause significant damage to a bottle of wine when exposed for long periods of time. Be sure to keep wine in dimly lit rooms to avoid UV rays from affecting your wine!

· Heat: High temperatures from the sun can ruin the flavor of bottle wine if exposed for too long. If the wine gets too hot, it will push the cork right out of the bottle. Be sure to store certain types of wine at their proper temperatures!

· Vibration: Moving a wine bottle around too much or harsh vibrations can upset the natural balance inside of the wine bottle, causing the wine to spoil. Be sure not to place wine bottles next to machines in your house that vibrate!

· Odor: Wine racks or rooms with strong odors can influence the flavor of your wine. Be sure to store wine in shelves that are as non-aromatic as possible.

Here are some recommended temperatures to store wine in.

Red - Store between 55 to 60 degrees F
White - Store between 49 to 56 degrees F
Rose - Store between 49 to 51 degrees F
Champagne - Store between 53 to 59 degrees F