At-Home Activities to Pair with Wine

Hattiesburg, MS

Americans, in general, are not known for wine consumption; instead, day-to-day beverages tend to be soft drinks, and – if enjoying an alcoholic drink – a beer or hard liquor. Wine is often saved for celebrations or romantic dinners. While it’s perfectly reasonable to enjoy wine on special occasions, it can just as equally be enjoyed at home and is perfect for a relaxing evening in or entertaining guests. Wine can even be an excuse for get-togethers. Besides traditional dinner parties (as excellent as these may be), what sort of in-home activities pair well with wine?

Picnics

Picnics need not always require a trip to a park or other venue; they can be held right in the backyard. Warm weather, a picnic basket filled with finger foods, and a blanket or tablecloth can turn any afternoon into a stay-at-home picnic, and a bottle of wine can add to the experience. Chilled, white wines – or a sweet, sparkling variety – may be the perfect picnic partner on a warm spring or summer day; they’re refreshing and pair well with fruit and light fare.

Painting parties

Wine and painting parties have always gone hand-in-hand. But this time, we’re not talking about the kind of painting that requires a canvas and palette. Think, instead: rollers, a drop cloth, and blue tape! Do you need help changing the wall color of a room? Why not turn a tedious task into an evening with friends? A bottle or two of wine might entice assistants or reward them for their help. Painting might be the perfect time for a robust, well-decanted red; after all, since painting clothes are meant to be stained and a drop cloth is already down, spills or stains on clothes and carpets aren’t an issue!

Wine tasting

Even those who are fond of a variety of wines often tend to gravitate toward a trusted type and brand. Since discovering a new wine can be a delight, a pleasant way to spend an evening is to invite friends over and have each bring a bottle of wine that they’ve never had but would like to try, or one they would like to introduce to people. Each person pours, and everyone tastes each wine, offering their impressions. Perhaps a new favorite will emerge!

Game night

Wine can certainly add a new element to a gathering for board or card games, though ideally, the game would be something that doesn’t require wild movements that might cause a spill. A night of Scrabble and Shiraz or Uno, paired with vino, is an excellent way to spend an evening.

Movie night

A get-together to watch a film sounds like a perfect opportunity to break out the wine glasses. For a festive variation, maybe suggest matching the type of wine to the film’s setting, or select a film in which wine plays a prominent role. Few things are more satisfying than having one’s taste set for a wine mentioned onscreen and being able to gratify that taste immediately.

One activity that should never be paired with wine is driving, so whatever event you end up enjoying with a date or friends, do it responsibly.

Deciding what to do with friends over wine may be difficult, but deciding where to find the wine is not. For more than 20 years, the Lincoln Road package store has boasted a wide selection of drinking spirits of all types – including more than 800 different wines – available to the Hattiesburg area. To find out more, call (601)268-3677 or send an e-mail to jamiefarris@gmail.com.