2020 is relentless – thankfully all of us here at wine down and chill are doing okay. How is everyone else? From murder hornets to Hurricane Isaias leaving millions of people without electricity in NY, NJ and CT (even days later). In addition to everything else going on, the world seems to be getting crazier by the day. And we’re hearing that you want options, including lower cost wine suggestions. Got it.
Theme: Umbrella
Perhaps it’s not wholly original, but this week’s theme coincides with the powerful strom that wreaked havoc up the East Coast earlier this week. Heavy rains and extensive damage from falling trees made the wine down and chill theme of an umbrella seem like an obvious choice. Of course, I supposed that I could have worked in “chainsaw” or “woodchipper” as a theme …
“Tonight’s forecast? 100% chance of wine.”
Listen: Under my Umbrella
The supremely talented Rihanna has been off the music scene for too long as she expands her creative side with efforts in fashion design. However, her massive debut, “Under My Umbrella,” produced by Jay-Z, made her the household name that she is today. Another tune (more like an ear-worm) that underscores our wine down and chill theme is, “Tiny Umbrella.” Here are 20 more songs about rain – and umbrellas.
Learn: Effects of Rain on Vineyards and Grapes
Like just everything else in life, a little can be a good thing and too much of anything is rarely good. That’s certainly the situation when it comes to rain and its effects on grapes and vineyards. Water nourishes the plants but too much of it will over-plump the grape, diluting the flavors and negatively impacting the delicate sugar/acid balance that is integral in wine-making. Grapes that take on too much water will swell until they split which leads to spoilage, mold and mildew – and none of those outcomes are good for wine-making. Saturated vineyards become eroded and expose root systems which can result in catastrophic damage to the vines.
“When it rains, it pours.”
Wine: Tiny Umbrellas
Our audience has been hit hard by COVID-19, job loss and now, storm damage. So, we’re presenting a super bargain wine for today’s theme. Offered by Total Wine, “Tiny Umbrellas” is a series of sweet, flavorful wines affordably priced at $5.99 each. You can’t beat that!
Their most popular (based on user reviews), is their Moscato. This sweet wine is reportedly strongly aromatic with notes of guava and melons. I’m personally not a fan of sweet wines so I haven’t tried it, but this could be a good option for day drinkin’ if you mix up a batch of sangrias. Add some fruit and sparkling water (melon or citrus flavors would be a good complement to this Moscato) over ice and you have the perfect wine down and chill drink for sitting in the sun.
Dine: Upsidedown Nachos
Coat a casserole dish with non-stick spray, add a jar of chunky salsa and spread evenly over the bottom. Layer grated cheese, sliced black olives, thinly sliced scallions, refried beans and frozen corn. Spice with chipotle and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes and the corn will be nicely roasted while everything else become warm and gooey. Layer with tortilla chips and sour cream.
Watch: The Umbrella Academy
What do you get when you raise seven misfit children with super powers in a dysfunctional family? You get the #1 sci-fi action, adventure series currently streaming on Netflix. “The Umbrella Academy,” just wrapped Season 2, with 10 episodes per season. The soundtrack is fabulous! And a couple of the characters are interesting to follow. Watch closely: there are 43 sparrows hidden in Season 2 which offer up “Easter-egg” hints for Season 3.
You can wine down and chill all week long
If this week’s theme didn’t float your boat or fill up your glass to wine down and chill, no worries. 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!
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels
