Elevate your cottage weekend with these wine pairings

I think we have a tendency to see visiting a cottage as a time that you need to be outside, on the lake, in the sun. And sure, that's true. But what if we took it as an opportunity to slow down on the every-day tasks, like cooking. Cottage food tends to be hotdogs, hamburgs and a quick salad thrown together. But the cottage is a place we're supposed to relax - we take that invitation as one that means we need to do less. What if we could rediscover our love of cooking at the cottage? What Nova Scotia wine pairings can you use at your next cottage adventure?

Wine at the cottage is far superior

Elevate your morning wine

What if we swapped out the cooler of beers for a few well selected bottles? That would be fun! Of course, here in Nova Scotia we have our breakfast wine - our Nova7 from Benjamin Bridge, or Moscato from Grand Pre. The sweetness in those wines will wake you up and give you energy for the whole day.

Lunch calls for a Tidal Bay

You can have a light white at lunch. Try a Tidal Bay. It doesn't have to be complicated to be delicious. Have a lighter lunch with fruit and veggie trays, smoked salmon, shrimp and cocktail sauce.

Slow down at supper

Maybe make a roast, its delicious, but not a big effort. The kitchen will be hot from the day anyway. Open the windows and let the breeze come through. I know here in Nova Scotia, the wind is at its height around 4pm. And if you insist on doing a BBQ, maybe get a homemade BBQ sauce and try doing ribs. Elevate your evening. Try a spicy red, maybe a Rioja for the BBQ. Want to stick with Nova Scotia? The Bacos from Blomidon are great reds that can hold up to bigger meat flavours.

Cap your night off with a port-style wine

End your night with sweets - still do the bonfire and smores, but sip on a port-style wine (you can get some at Planter's Ridge, or Avondale Sky).

Chat with me about Heated Rivalry on tour (please)

And of course, all of this is on my mind because I just read the first two books in the Game Changers series by Rachel Reid. I haven't watched the show yet. I'm waiting on my wine Heated Rivalry themed wine pack from Alana at Crushpad Wine. I'm hoping to pair each wine with a couple episodes. We can chat about it on tour.

What wines do you pair with your tv-watching time?