Now that COVID-19 restrictions have relaxed, so have I. I’m fully vaccinated, so I’m actually sharing restaurant lunches and visits with (vaccinated) friends and family members. As my apartment has a spacious covered balcony, I’m also inviting them to hang out and enjoy summer breezes and something delicious to sip.

When visitors have different wine preferences, I choose wine-by-the-glass options, which lead me to the monthly subscriptions of z DTC wine brand, best-known for its innovative and minimal intervention wine-by-the-glass offerings made from small lot, sustainably farmed vineyards.

For lovers of fruity reds, the USUAL Red wine is bright (and fruity), with notes of muddled raspberry, black cherry, and fennel. It’s available in quantities of 6 ($40) 12 ($80), 18 ($120) or 24 glasses ($160)  Monthly Plans receive a 17% discount off each shipment and require a two month minimum commitment (so that you receive 2 shipments).

I love coffee and cream served cold, and I’m not alone. (Witness all the cold drinks Starbucks sells.) Another option for my at-home sipping is the Tia Maria’s signature Iced Coffee Frappe; a ready-to-drink libation made from 100% Arabica coffee, cream, and the sweet taste of Tia Maria. It’s a yummy pick-me-up with a low ABV of 4% and just three simple ingredients.

When it’s just too darn hot for anything, a frozen cocktail can make anyone smile. That would be Slim Chillers, creators of the original 100 Calorie Vodka Martini Skinny Freezer. The company’s latest creation, Skinny THREEzers Rum Cocktails, and wine-based Tropical Cocktails are the first-ever triple-layer, adult freeze pops, with 9% alcohol by volume and made with real cream.

I love rosé wine and I love sparkling wine, so of course, I fell for the light-hearted Pink Flamingo Gris Rosé, which is so modestly priced (I found it between $15 and $20 in nearby shops) that it can be sipped for any old occasion.

Every wine has a story, and this one comes from the sands of Camargue in France, which is steeped in history with tales of the knights who accompanied Saint Louis, King of France, on his Crusades to the Holy Lands.  In the late 19^th century, it was only the vines planted in the sand that were able to escape the scourge of phylloxera.

The “Vignoble de Sables” is a remarkable vineyard with 20 hectares of vines, over 3 coastal strips, boasting an exceptional terroir of sand-earth.  The soil is cultivated traditionally without any herbicide and fertilization is mainly organic. Since vintage 2019 and after 3 years of conversion, the vine growing methods and winemaking processes at Domaine de Jarras have been classified organic under European regulation.  The female winemaker, Auriane Eysseric and her team use organic grapes to make this wine.

For special occasion sipping, the Champagne Henriot Brut Rosé  is a glorious choice that combines elegance and intensity, a cuvée blend that showcases pinot noir from the Montagne de Reims while retaining the fresh minerality of chardonnay. The delicate copper-pink color is celebratory, while the Pinot Noir structure lets you know that this is a serious wine.

Feature Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash