Raise Your Glass: Sip Smarter This Tailgate Season

WWMD – What would Margaret Drink?

Margaret Pearman is a certified sommelier under the Court of Master Sommeliers and curates the award-winning wine list at Charlie’s L’Etoile Verte. Here are her sipping suggestions for September:

The tablecloth’s down, the Green Egg’s heating up, the cooler’s packed and your signature cocktail is ready to pour. You’ve got the new custom trucker hat and team sweatshirt. You’re the kind of tailgater who leaves nothing to chance. But here’s a detail that often gets overlooked: the drinking vessel.

If you’re uncompromising about everything else, why pour your mimosa or Bloody into a red Solo cup? Step it up with GoVino ultra-premium plasticware. These aren’t your average tailgate tumblers. Designed to mimic the shape of a wine glass, they help capture and concentrate aromas so every sip smells and tastes better.

The curve directs the wine or cocktail to the right part of your tongue, letting acidity, sweetness and bitterness shine in balance. In short, they make your drink taste the way it’s meant to taste. They’re shatterproof, reusable and even customizable if you plan ahead. Toss them in the wash and they’re ready for the next game. It’s a small upgrade that makes a big difference.

*From weekend tailgates to poolside parties, GoVino plasticware goes wherever the fun flows. Grab a 4-pack for $25 at govino.com. Photo: GoVino*

My top three crushable crowd-pleasers for this football season:

Forge Cellars Dry Riesling, Seneca Lake, N.Y.: Lively lemon and lime, stony minerality and a clean, long finish. Great with food or all on its own.
Fess Parker The Big Easy Red, Santa Barbara: Rich, dark fruit and silky tannins in a mostly Syrah blend. Easy to drink, hard to put down.
Cave de Bissey Crémant de Bourgogne Brut: Crisp, dry bubbles that shine solo or mixed into a killer mimosa.