Indian Summer Wine

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day in Central New York. The sun was high in the blue sky and the trees that have changed color this autumn glowed brightly against the blue hue of the sky. The thermometer topped 80 degrees, at least at our house, and the crisp clean air was delightful. We had a full day of playground action and my husband and father worked on the back deck, which is close to being done before the frost and snow sets in.

I love “Indian summer,” though I’m never sure when it actually takes place. I read the official definition is a warm spell that occurs after the first hard frost, which we really haven’t had but it’s been down to 33 so maybe? Anyway, to me, that’s what this time of the year is – the last remaining warm days before the chill sets in for a long winter.

Although I challenged my Twitter followers to drink a different Merlot each day for #MerlotMe month, I’ve had a hard time keeping up. It’s not like me to drink every night. Normally, due to my work and workout schedule, I tend to enjoy wine on weekends and on Tuesdays, the night before my rest days at the gym. Drinking a glass or two every night has been tough, believe it or not! Anyway, it got me thinking. What kind of wine goes with the last few warm days of fall?

Well, for starters, it’s time to clean out our summer wines from the fridge. We had a Canadian icewine left on the fridge door that added up to a couple of shots for my mom and me. In my house, that was all that was left of summer! Then, it’s time to enjoy the warmer, fuller wines of fall/winter, including Merlot, of course! Before signing off, I’ll leave you with a few shots of our almost finished back deck. I’m sure we’ll enjoy a lot of wine on that deck in the days to come!