While the rest of the country deals with plummeting temperatures, Cambria Estate Vineyard & Winery is reminding those of us in the Santa Maria valley to take advantage of our mild climate by treating friends and loved ones to a picnic in high style.
While the winery artfully shares ideas for a beach picnic on its web site, these tips could actually apply just as well to a meadow, lawn or sunny deck.
Recommendations include cozy textiles such a large beach blankets and throw pillows for comfort. Music, fresh flowers and pretty tableware such as appetizer plates, cheese knives, cutting boards, napkins and wine glasses also add a nice ambiance. Prep as much as you can ahead of time: Slice cheeses, remove meats from packages and wash fruit. Three meats and three cheeses is a good rule of thumb, along with crackers, a baguette, nuts, olives, fig jam and bottled water.
Of course, Cambria Winery adds that you can’t go wrong with one red wine and one white wine, like Cambria’s 2015 Benchbreak Chardonnay and 2014 Benchbreak Pinot Noir. And don’t forget the corkscrew!
