5 Cold Weather Wines To Cuddle With

We are not used to cold weather in Southwest Florida and this week temperatures were 20 degrees below average in most areas. Before those temps start to climb again, here are 5 cold weather wines to cuddle with for Wine Wednesday.

It's not just the fact that these wines are big, bold and have warm qualities to their smell and taste. It's also because of the food that compliments them. When it gets cold, many people cook comfort foods that have lots of flavor and structure. Bigger wines tend to match those foods well.

Let's pop some corks on reds from around the world but remember that the wine itself should not be warm. A slight chill allows you taste more of the subtleties, not just alcohol.

There is no way I can do a piece on wines to cuddle with and not include a Napa cabernet. I recently opened a 2021 Frank Family Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa and it was ripe and ready to drink.

Icon Rock Cabernet Sauvignon is a new brand from Uco Valley in Argentina. The winery actually has three tiers of wines and they only recently arrived in the United States.

Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo is a great food wine from Italy. It's packaging looks as inviting as the wine itself tastes.

Last week I went to Miami to meet winemaker Dominique Arangoits from Cos d'Estournel. We tasted through four of his wines from Bordeaux, France. G was one of my favorites. No, not because it is the first letter of my name, therefore MY wine. But that didn't hurt either.

Finally, 2018 Mettler Petite Sirah comes from Lodi, California. First of all, there is nothing "petite" about the wine, just the grapes. Mettler is not one of those mass produced wines and I've always enjoyed what they do.

Side note. Mettler's current vintage of petite sirah is 2020. The new vintage is still in the cold weather wines category. Here are the tasting notes from the winery:

"This is a big wine with dark inky color and big tannin finish. Black licorice notes on the nose and black pepper spice on the palate. The dark fruit rounds out the spice and the finish is very dry. This wine is complex and would benefit from some age as it will continue to evolve." 

Prices may vary from those listed.

Drink responsibly.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's prime time for putting up Christmas and other holiday decor. Sure you can buy pre-made items from just about any store. However, it can be fun and less expensive to make your own. Here are 5 impressive DIY Christmas decorations to try for the season and TikTok Tuesday.

Unfortunately, many Southwest Floridians are starting over when it comes to holiday decorations. I know people who lost all of them to hurricane damage from back-to-back storms this season. The good news about some of these ideas is that they don't cost a fortune. They just take a little time and effort.

My social media feeds have started exploding with people showing off their creativity and decorating skills. Some I've seen before, however, I'm always trying to track down something different. Hopefully some of these ideas will at least inspire you to try some DIY Christmas decorations this year,

If the kids are home and need an activity to keep them out of trouble, put them to work on some of these. Better yet, do them as a family project. Time together is the best gift of all during the holiday season. Then together, you can appreciate the team effort to make your home look extra special and festive this year.

If you don't have a TikTok account, don't worry. I've made it easy by taking these links from mine. Simply scroll down and watch from this post. Some of the details are in the captions so you might have to click to see them in full. Turn up the volume as well for good advice and instructions.

Finally, share these videos with friends who also enjoy decorating and might be looking for something new to try.

Every year I find something that I've never seen before. This time it's ceiling decor. I've never even thought about this but it looks fun for the right space.

If you REALLY want to turn heads in your neighborhood this year, you have to try this one. It is a little work but the finished product is indeed impressive.

This is a great idea to make your home feel like a winter wonderland, even if it is 80 or 90 degrees this season. You may even have some old picture frames to repurpose for the project.

I've seen lots of different versions of this one and love every one. This would look great if you have space on front porch or even around the pool.

This one requires several steps and lots of time for drying. But the finished product is impressive. You can also add your own touches in there.