Memorial Day brings summer with its light food and drinks

Bring your friends to share wines during Wine & Food Week in The Woodlands to kick off a great summer during the first full week in summer.

This Monday marks the official start of summer along with an influx of heat, mosquitoes and everything light.

We retire our dark clothes and don the lighter shades and fabrics to endure the heat. It is a time to eat and drink lighter foods and beverages. We revert to the light foods of summer including summer salads, fruits and veggies. We also look to the light white wines such as unoaked Chardonnays, Viogniers, Rousanne, Sauvignon Blanc, Chennin Blanc, and Riesling wines. In addition, try the dry Rose Wines with their fruit forwardness. Why not a sparkling wine? Regardless, these whites, Roses’, and Sparklings need to be served chilled, not cold. Too cold and the wine's bouquet is hidden. I suggest serving these wines around 55 degrees except for the Sparklings which must be cold in order to safely open that bottle under intense pressure. Corks flying out of Sparkling Wines have been clocked with radar flying at 55 MPH! Chill your Sparkling Wines to around 30 degrees (yes put them in the freezer before opening) to safely open that bottle of Sparkle, holding the cork still in wine hand and rotating the bottle with the other. If you want your wines cold, then so be it. You can use ice cubes in your glass with your vino. The only rule I have when serving wines is "wines are made for sharing!"

Start a new evening trend in your neighborhood this Summer, starting with Memorial Day evening. Open a nice white or Rose’ and park yourself in a chair at the end of your drive with a glass in hand with a few extra glasses nearby to share as neighbors walk along your streets. You will truly see that sharing wines with your passing neighbors will open up friendships and more! They will also endeavor to share their wines with you! Just think what sharing wine can do for your neighborhood. Those wines are also great for raising a toast this weekend to those who gave their all serving in our country's Armed Forces and defending our sovereignty and values.

Texas has a lot of great Whites, Roses’, and Sparklings to enjoy this summer. You can find these wines from Llano Estacado, Fall Creek, William Chris, Messina Hof, Bending Branch, McPherfson, and other great Texas wineries in wine shops at your local H.E.B. Grocery, Kroger's, SPEC's, and more. Get several since it is always BEST to share wines and make friends. Visit your local Texas Wineries this Summer with friends to pick up some unusual wines and perhaps enjoy a Concert at sunset.

Check out the websites of local wineries and those in the Texas Hill County for their special events including concerts. Pack a picnic basket of your favorite Summer fares to take with you and your friends to the Texas Wineries. Always bring a couple of chairs to relax on with your friends. Texas is the name coined from Tejas which means "friend!" Raise a toast to friends, those who gave their all, and to our great country this weekend as we welcome summer.

Ron Saikowski may be reached at [email protected].