by Michele Slott

Wineries aren’t the only place where you can sample wines. Talk to your local liquor store or one of your favorite restaurants — they may indeed have a regular wine tasting, or a special wine dinner from time to time. Apparently both Canyon Lake Liquor (Canyon Lake Drive) and Smith’s Liquor Gallery (Jackson Blvd) have wine tastings every Friday for a couple of hours. I believe Smith’s samples out cheese, too. Every week, they are opening something different for people to try. Anyone else know of something similar? Post a comment and let area wine lovers, new and old, know what’s going, where and when!

by Michele Slott

For many of us, beer is the beverage of choice for the Independence Day picnic. My husband and I are especially fond of Samuel Adams Summer Ale on hot days… But for those of you who are choosing to drink wine over the holiday weekend, take some notes as you enjoy, then take a moment and share with us: What did you pick up at the store or is it something you’ve saved from a trip to a winery? How did you like it overall? What did you drink it with? How did it pair with the fried chicken vs the potato salad or coleslaw?

Also, are there any wine tasting events this weekend that people should know about? We hear that several area restaurants and liquor stores have wine dinners or tastings from time to time, or even weekly. Please post them here with a comment!