Packing Your Cooler for A Holiday Weekend
How does one get "adopted" into a family?
Not really sure... but I’d imagine good manners is a baseline requirement – saying thank you, being complimentary, and always helping out. Oh, and if invited – you have to come correct. For me, that's tons of wine and perhaps some food to pair.
It all started 5 or 6 years ago–I was invited down to Avalon by my dear friends Dan & Suzanne. Their family rented a house every year and being that they lived in L.A. -- they used this as a good time to see friends. I was so excited to see my friends & be down at the beach that I definitely overpacked; but I’m not talking about clothes. I packed two cases of wine; which surprised the entire family as they asked, “aren’t you only here for two nights??...
It’s probably my Italian mother who taught me about hospitality at an early age. We often wondered who else was coming over for dinner when she brought out trays of baked ziti, chicken cutlets, and eggplant rollatini. Similary, I planned for every and any scenario, as well as uninvited guests - there were so many special things I wanted to share, so if we didn’t drink everything –it didn’t matter. But of course, we did and this continued as my favorite tradition. Every summer, I got invited to the jersey shore and then their Caribbean vacations (where it was much harder to bring wine; but I made it happen).
“So what did you bring this year?” I usually go pretty heavy on champagne, rosé, and whites since we’re usually drinking outside around the pool, on the beach or boat. We’re a group of 7 adults (yes I am the 7th wheel), so I try to bring large formats; but sometimes it's more about variety.
This group often jokes WWJD: what would james drink? Below is how I planned and what we drank.
Day 1
Chanterêves rosé & Cassiopee Maranges - it's perfect for that first boat ride...
***full disclosure: I tried my first High Noon on the boat and it wasn’t bad lol
Agrapart Terroirs out of magnum with some caviar & don bocarte anchovies aperitivo
Trediberri Langhe Nebbiolo out of magnum & a bottle of Vallisassoli 33/33/33 for Dinner
Gustinella Rosato after dinner
Day 2
Beers on the beach
Bachelet-Monnot Chassagne-Montrachet & Les Aricoques Roussette de Savoie
Amorotti Cerasuolo & Sandlands Assyrtiko with a bomb meat & cheese spread
Clos des Bretèches chenin with apps & Souhaut Sainte Epine from magnum with steaks
Day 3
Coffee from Black Fox with a Pork Roll, Egg, and Cheese.
Beers & Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri with Wildwood BBQ (shoutout to David Gill!)
Marie Courtin Efflorescence from Magnum with some littleneck clams
Dureuil-Janthial Bourgogne Blanc around the pool & Paul Pillot St. Aubin at the table
Guilbert Gillet Savigny & some Amaro dell’Etna riserva to cap off the evening.
…maybe some tequila 🙂
Day 4
Fazenda Augalevada white blend w/ lunch
Pierre Paillard Les Parcelles out of magnum for aperitivo
Amorotti Trebbiano with crispy calamari at Luciano’s in Stone Harbor
Piero Busso & Cascina delle Rose Barbaresco both from magnum with entrees
Needless to say, we had a great time. I love putting wine together for special occasions or just a weekend with friends.
I encourage you to, too! Shoot me a note if you have something coming up and need some recs, or come by for lunch or aperitivo to taste & chat vino.
Have a great rest of your summer.
-J