The world is still struggling and all of us behind wine down and chill are still trying to help you through it by doing our part. Most of you are drinking more wine lately with virtual happy hours (VHH) so you’re even more interested in learning about different wines so that you can get down to drinking it! Got it.
Theme: 69
Yup. We’re goin’ there. In a classy way, of course, nothing too far offside, but this marks our 69th wine down and chill column so we’re going to do a little celebrating!
Listen: Summer of ‘69
Bryan Adams, despite a recent and wholly inappropriate rant, has the perfect summer song title to kick things off, Summer of ’69. But we’re going to park that right there and move on to some artists that deserve our attention. Our suggested movie has a pretty cool Indie playlist that’s perfect for our theme. Check it out here.
And here’s a twist to our weekly wine down and chill themed playlist, we’re going to list songs that have 69 bpm (beats per minute). Something fun – and cheeky – for a change!
“Tainted Love” by Soft Cell, “Get Ur Freak On” by Missy Elliot, “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele, “Good Vibrations” by the Beach Boys and “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin is the perfect song that we all need right NOW. Other notable songs include “With Arms Wide Open” by Creed and “Praise You” by Fatboy Slim. See? You always learn something every time that you read wine down and chill. 😊
Learn: corking it
Well, we’re hardly going to go there (as in offside) and offer any instruction on today’s wine down and chill theme, but we are going to teach you something. Don’t you worry!
We’re going to talk about corking it. Aside from the phallic styling of today’s wine down and chill selection, there’s a lot of innovation behind it (says the science geek and tech nerd). Verdi Spumante wants you to “sparkle longer.” I’m definitely down for that.
They have a special resealable cork which has been designed to keep the bubbles in. Basically, it keeps the party going inside the bottle. Not that anyone I know has ever needed to actually seal an opened bottle, but it’s an option. For up to seven days no less!
Wine: Verdi Spumante Watermelon Sparkletini
Again, not our usual wine down and chill fare but it’s summer, we’re all looking for a reason to leave our homes and find something to get excited about. This wine has bubbles. And we all know that I love bubbles. It’s a natural sparkling beverage which makes it interesting. It’s from Italy – one of the most passionate places and cultures on the planet. The watermelon flavors make it the perfect summer companion with a subtle, not overtly sweet kick. Add some vodka and then you really have a sparkletini! Verdi Spumante Watermelon Sparkletini is widely available, under $10 per bottle
Dine: salad to put you in the mood
Cosmopolitan identified 29 aphrodisiac foods (you’d think they could have done a little more research and found 40 more but hey). Combining some of the best of them, make yourself a heaped salad topped with walnuts, goat cheese, and pomegranate seeds drizzled in honey and balsamic vinegar.
Watch: 365 Days
This Netflix hit came out of nowhere. Well, Poland, actually. It’s now one of Netflix’s Top 10 of all time and the only movie to hit #1 Status – not once – but twice. You can go as offside and cheeky as you want with that one, but I’ll leave it right there. The actor in 365 Days, Michele Morrone, not only sings some of the songs but, to quote a line in the movie, “was chiseled by God himself.” I’ll leave that right there, too.
With all the hype, I had to check it out. The plot is a tad thin (translation = hot mafia dude lusts after hot woman (Anna-Maria Sieklucka) and they have a really expensive yacht and not much of a story line). As it turns out, the film fits the category “Polish Erotica.” Apparently, they can get away with a whole lot more (or less, if you’re talking about clothing) than is the standard fare for an R rating. I’m surprised it wasn’t X-rated, but people seem to be enjoying it. Wink.
Extra bits
We’ll continue to offer affordable suggestions for music, wine, dinner and movies with a different wine down and chill theme each week. You can also follow me on Instagram for wine art and photography @WineDownAndChill. We’re here to help you sit back, wine down and chill. If you missed an article, fret not! You can find every article here.
If you like podcasts, well, wouldn’t you know, we’ve got those, too! Three of them, in fact: 1) Like a Boss with snappy insights; 2) wine down and chill; and 3) Monday motivation. All three are available on all streaming channels including Apple, iHeart Radio, Spotify and more. Tune in!
It’s the weekend. Time to wine down and chill. Cheers!
Lead Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
