Make National Wine Day one to remember

Red or white or rose — just grab a glass.

May 25 is National Wine Day, according to the National Day Calendar. It has a sister holiday in February — National Drink Wine Day. And, there’s more. June 8 is National Rose Day. Wine is called “bottled poetry” by novelist Robert Louis Stevenson, so it’s only fitting to celebrate more than one wine day a year, right?

The Wine Institute estimates that over 949 million gallons are consumed each year in the U.S., averaging out to nearly 3 gallons for each resident.

“There’s a camaraderie that wine lovers have, because they all share in their appreciation for great wine,” says Blake Helppie, managing partner of Rose Piscine, a wine specifically made to drink over ice. “If you have never had a special event or activity to observe the (National Wine) day, you are missing out. Make this a year that you mark the day with some fun in its honor.”

Why not spend the day with a vino-related activity with friends and family?

Here are some ideas:

Wine trivia night: Gather up lots of fun facts and interesting wine trivia and hold a wine trivia night. Divide everyone up on teams or play individually. Have everyone bring wine or foods and snacks that pair well with them, and have a fun time. Reserve a special bottle of wine for the trivia winner.

Host a wine bottle exchange: Invite people to bring a bottle of wine to a swap, where they can exchange it with others. This gives people a chance to try something new, and maybe offload something hanging out in their cooler that they would rather swap.

Have a sip and paint party: Gather at a restaurant or art center, or host it at your house and invite an art teacher to come lead the class. Sip some wine while you paint a masterpiece you can take home with you.

Schedule a neighborhood wine walk: Get to know some of your neighbors by getting people in on a neighborhood wine walk. If you get 5-10 houses to take part, have people walk house to house mingling and trying different wines at each one.

Create a local wine club: Use the wine holidays as a kick-off to creating a local wine club. Have members meet up once per month at someone’s house to share wine and conversation.

Host a lawn game night: With nicer weather upon us, it’s a great time to invite people over for a lawn game and wine night. Gather some favorite adult lawn games, such as cornhole, and have a sipping good time.

Have an outdoor wine movie night: Get an outdoor projector and show a wine-themed movie as people sip wine. Wine movies to consider include “A Walk in the Clouds,” “Somm” and “Bottle Shock.”

Twitter is abuzz about wine. Here are some thoughts via social media about #NationalWineDay.

Isn't every day wine day? https://t.co/3IFWjWqcuT

— Food & Wine (@foodandwine) May 23, 2019

Tomorrow is National Wine Day.
Are you ready? pic.twitter.com/RuY0jUqCEm

— My Winey Sister (@MyWineySister) May 24, 2019

Today is #NationalWineDay ?Cheers! #wine pic.twitter.com/b09CNYvN8F

— Margie Miklas (@MargieMiklas) May 24, 2019

Details: rosepiscine.com