2011 VINTJS Paso Robles Red Wine and Robert Hall's 2014 Rose de Robles 

A quality date doesn’t have to cost a fortune to be romantic. Why should your next bottle of wine be any different? Whether you’re watching the sun sink in your backyard or dancing in the dining room to KISS, now’s the time to look around at your life and appreciate what—and who—you have to hold. Thanks to VINTJS Paso Robles Red Wine (available at your local Trader Joe’s), it shouldn’t be that hard to savor the here and now. With a juicy blend of 35 percent zinfandel, 31 percent merlot, 19 percent syrah, and 15 percent malbec, this table wine is as robust as it is inexpensive. That’s right, ladies and germs. Date night is back!

• 2011 VINTJS Paso Robles Red Wine—About $7 a bottle; 3977 Higuera Street, SLO.


If you still wrinkle your nose at the sight of rosé, you have been living under a rock for a while now. I hate to tell you, but Amazon.com has taken over the Earth with its fleet of frightening drones (sorry, “small unmanned aerial vehicles”) and—spoiler alert—Don Draper isn’t that great of a family man after all. Get with the program, people! Pop open a chilled bottle of full-bodied and refreshingly citrusy 2014 Robert Hall Rosé de Robles and see just what you’ve been missing. Long gone are the days of perfumey pink wines. The new blush is dry, sophisticated, and maybe even a little kick-ass.

• Robert Hall’s 2014 Rosé de Robles—$14 a bottle; 3443 Mill Road, Paso Robles.

Gurgle it up and shoot it down, then send your thoughts to Hayley Thomas at [email protected].