Question of the week: How to cope with summer

       The only thing worse than the approach of hurricane season is the spate of TV ads telling us it’s time to get out the lawn mower and the barbecue grill because the nice summer weather is coming.

       I blame those ads on parochial Manhattan ad agencies unaware that, anywhere south of Atlanta – meaning roughly one-third of the country – their ads are entirely inappropriate.

     Rubbing it in, in fact.

     So the Question of the Week is: How do we wine fans cope with the swelter season? On a 95-degree weekend, do we want to stand over a barbecue grill with a flame adding another 1,500 degrees?
And sip a glass of wine?

     I have two coping tips. Then I’d like to hear yours.

      1. Fire up the grill, pull it as close to the back door as is safe, stand in the open door with the AC turned down to 60 and a giant floor fan blasting it at you and sip an ice-cold glass of bubbly. At least your back will be cool.

       2. When I’ve really had it, I put one of those artificial logs in my fireplace, light it, turn the AC down to zero and break out a flannel shirt and a bottle of port. People say South Florida is too hot to drink port. What do they know?

       Do you have better ways to cope? Let me know. Click on the “comments” icon below.

Comments

[Bacchus]

Wear less or no clothes and drink plenty of water before and after drinking your wine/s.

Bacchus

[Julie Mushett]

For brunch, a nice cold glass of Braida Bracchetto (an Italian desert wine that tastes like wild strawberries and has foamy effervesence with 5.5% alc.) in the shade listening to your favorite music or reading a great book (1001 Paintings to See Before You Die). By lunch time, a fabulous crisp Italian white will keep you cool until dinner when you're ready to enjoy a vintage Barolo. A perfect Miami summer.

[Teena Calderon]

BBQ at night, that's my philosophy. If it's July 4th, then pray some willing friend volunteers with tongs and an apron. My contribution is to provide the good wine as payment for their sacrifice in the heat - Rose is my favorite summer cooler, with a Sauvignon Blanc as a back-up