Drink Wine to Help Pups in Need on National Mutt Day!

To celebrate National Mutt Day on July 31, uncork a bottle of ONEHOPE’s award-winning wine that helps shelter animals find forever homes.

National Mutt Day takes place twice a year in an effort to embrace, celebrate and save mixed breed dogs. The holiday aims to challenge perceptions surrounding mixed breed dogs and raise awareness on the abundance of mixed breeds that are in need of forever homes.

To do its part for mutts in need, ONEHOPE, a brand of award-winning wines each with a measurable social impact, raises a toast on National Mutt Day with its Pinot for Paws Woof! Gift Box. The gift box contains treats for both four and two-legged pals, and every purchase helps to fund pet adoptions. To date, ONEHOPE has helped 13,605 shelter animals find a forever home.

Celebrate Memorial Day Weekend with Sauza and Skinnygirl Cocktails!

Throughout MDW, honor those who have served our country and celebrate the unofficial start of summer with refreshing cocktails from Sauza Tequila and Skinnygirl Cocktails! 

Whether you’re going to the beach, throwing a backyard barbecue, or planning an exciting trip, enjoy the three-day weekend with the cocktail recipes below!

·         Sauza® Tequila Sunrise – the Sauza® Tequila Sunrise cocktail offers citrus flavors of orange juice, cranberry juice, lime and grapefruit 

·         Red, Red Rita – Sauza Tequila’s Red, Red Rita cocktail offers a delicious balance of blood orange juice, lime juice, simple syrup and fresh orange 

·         Watermelon Refresher – Skinnygirl Cocktails’ Watermelon Refresher cocktail offers a cool combination of watermelon juice, lemonade and fresh watermelon 

·         Skinnygirl® White Wine Slush – Skinnygirl Cocktails’ White Wine Slush cocktail offers a light mix of wine, rum, lemonade, seltzer and a fresh peach 

Sauza® Tequila Sunrise

·         2 parts Sauza® Signature Blue Silver 100% Agave Tequila

·         1 part lime juice

·         1 part orange juice

·         3 parts cranberry juice

·         1 grapefruit wedge 

Preparation: Fill shaker with all ingredients and shake. Strain into glass over ice. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge. 

Red, Red Rita

·         1 part Sauza® Signature Blue Silver Tequila

·         1 part blood orange juice

·         1/2 part lime juice

·         1/2 part simple syrup

·         1 blood orange wheel 

Preparation: Add ingredients to an ice-filled shaker. Shake and strain over ice into a margarita glass. Garnish with a blood orange wheel.

Watermelon Refresher

·         1 ½ parts Skinnygirl® Cucumber Vodka

·         1 ½ parts lemonade

·         1 ½ parts watermelon juice

·         Thyme or watermelon for garnish

Preparation: Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice. Pour mixture into a tall glass, add garnish and enjoy! 

Skinnygirl® White Wine Slush

·         1 part Skinnygirl® Pinot Grigio

·         1 part Cruzan® Light Rum 

·         2 parts frozen lemonade

·         1 part seltzer

·         Peach for garnish

Preparation: Blend all ingredients except seltzer with ice. Pour into a flute glass, top with seltzer and garnish with peach.

Award-Worthy Snacks and Sips for the Oscars from Skinnygirl

While you’re watching the Oscar nominees walk the red carpet, celebrate the glitz and glam over drinks and everyone’s favorite movie snack – popcorn! 

Prepare your acceptance speech when your guests nominate you for “Best Cocktail” after serving up some delicious nominee inspired sips with the recipes below. 

While rooting for your favorite stars, make your guests feel like VIPs with fabulous wine and popcorn pairings:

·       Pair buttered popcorn with Skinnygirl Chardonnay 

o   Why it works: The light finish and crisp acidity of Chardonnay pairs well with classic butter popcorn.

·       Pair white cheddar popcorn with Skinnygirl Pinot Noir 

o   Why it works: The flavors of dark cherry, toasted oak and vanilla in Pinot Noir bring out the hint of white cheddar in the popcorn.

·       Pair Skinnygirl Cabernet Sauvignon with grape popcorn 

o   Why it works: The bright aroma of dark berries in Cabernet Sauvignon will enhance the grape flavor of this unique twist on traditional popcorn. 

·       Pair Skinnygirl Moscato with spicy chipotle popcorn 

o   Why it works: The light effervescent taste with notes of pear, peach and mango in Moscato tone down the firey kick of spicy chipotle popcorn.

·       Pair Skinnygirl Pinot Grigio with jalapeño popcorn

o   Why it works: The sweet notes of Pinot Grigio bring out the mild mix of spice and salt in the jalapeño popcorn.

Best Picture Punch 

·         1 part Skinnygirl® Bare Naked Vodka

·         3 parts cranberry juice

·         1 part grapefruit juice

·         Grapefruit twist for garnish 

Preparation: Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and pour over ice. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.

Big Screen Sipper 

·         2 parts Skinnygirl®  Tangerine Vodka

·         2 parts soda water

·         Splash of grenadine 

·         Fresh cherries

·         Orange for garnish

Preparation: Mix all ingredients except soda water and pour over ice. Add cherries, top with soda water and garnish with orange.

Sizzle Your Way Through Cooling Temperatures with Skinnygirl Cocktails

Stirred, shaken or…spicy? As the temperatures begin to drop, Skinnygirl Cocktails is here to ease the chill and turn up the heat with spicy recipes! 

Skinnygirl Cocktails is warming up these cold-weathered months with a little kick of chili pepper and hot sauce! Give your cocktail of choice a spicy boost this season with a Skinnygirl Firecracker or Skinnygirl Mulled Wine. 

Looking for a cute way to add more flavor? A chili powder rim makes any margarita more fun, and our pick for a touch of spice in your drink is Skinnygirl Spicy Lime Margarita. It’s ready to serve and makes entertaining so easy!

Skinnygirl® Firecracker 

·         2 parts Skinnygirl®  Cucumber Vodka

·         2 parts low-sodium tomato juice

·         Splash of fresh lemon juice

·         Squeeze of fresh lime juice

·         Dash of Worcestershire sauce (to taste)

·         Dash of hot sauce

·         Sprinkle of celery salt

·         Lime for garnish

·         Cucumber for garnish

Preparation: Mix all ingredients, pour over ice and garnish with cucumber and lime.

Skinnygirl® Mulled Wine

• 1 bottle of Skinnygirl® Pinot Noir
• 3 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
• ¼ part whole cloves
• 3 star anise
• 1 whole nutmeg, cracked with the side of a chef’s knife into a few pieces
• 1 orange peel
• Agave nectar to taste
• Lemon slice for garnish
• Star anise for garnish
• Cinnamon sticks for garnish

Preparation: Pour wine into a large saucepan and cook over low heat. Make a sachet with the spices by tying them together in cheesecloth and put the sachet into the saucepan. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Add agave nectar to taste, then pour the wine through a strainer and serve in a heatproof glass. Garnish with a lemon slice, star anise and cinnamon sticks.

Skinnygirl Cocktails Tastemakers

Skinnygirl Cocktails has just introduced their new Tastemakers program, and I am lucky enough to be one of the first to be a part of all the excitement! 

I mean, just check out this recipe below!!! Sounds #SoGood!

Can't wait to try this yummy Orange Risotto recipe featuring @Skinnygirl® Cocktails. http://t.co/65oeVedNcd #SoGood pic.twitter.com/o2QHgLL3cm

— Mike (@OhHellYes) March 27, 2015

How to Host the Perfect Wine & Cheese Party

No matter what your favorite is, wine and cheese are a combination that everyone can agree on! 

Want to host a Pinterest-worthy wine and cheese party? The team at Skinnygirl® Cocktails has come up with some hosting tips and pairing suggestions to serve as inspiration and simplify the process. 

Looking for a new wine to add to your collection?  New Skinnygirl® Pinot Noir is a must-have with mouthwatering flavors of dark cherry, toasted oak and vanilla. 

Hosting Tips

1.       Cheesin’ - Estimate at least one ounce of each cheese per person. To start, 3-5 cheeses and 4-6 wines should be the perfect amount.

2.       Easy cheesy - Make a pretty display of a few different cheeses using place cards or a slate cheese tray with the names of each written in chalk. 

3.       Chalk one up - Use chalkboard paper or butcher paper to label the wines and pairings. Spread the paper on the table as a runner, and set out chalk/markers to label the wines and draw arrows to suggest pairing ideas.

4.       Glam glasses - Cut squares of chalkboard paper and stick them on wine glasses, or provide plain wine glasses and glass paint for guests to decorate their own. Now they won’t worry about which glass is theirs, plus they’ll have a fun favor to take home!

5.       Don’t break the bank - Ask each guest to bring a bottle of wine and set a price limit based on your budget.  Skinnygirl® Wines are delicious AND affordable, ranging from $11.99-14.99 each.

6.       Nosh & nibble - In addition to wine and cheese, provide other snacks for guests to enjoy alongside the wine. We like gourmet olives, figs, fresh veggies, prosciutto, spicy salami and fruits such as strawberries, grapes, blueberries, melons and apples.

7.       Keeping order - Work from dry to sweet with white wines, and from light to full-bodied with red wines. 

Wine & Cheese Pairing Ideas

·         Fresh Cheese 

o   Wine: Skinnygirl® Rose, Sauvignon Blanc

o   Cheese: Goat cheese, burrata, feta

o   Why it works: Delicate milky or tangy soft cheeses pair nicely with light-bodied wines with citrus and floral notes

·         Mild or Creamy Cheeses

o   Wine: Skinnygirl® Pinot Noir, Skinnygirl® Prosecco, Skinnygirl® Chardonnay, Beaujolais

o   Cheese: Brie, Camembert, cheddars, Havarti, jacks, double and triple crèmes

o   Why it works: Soft-ripened cheeses work great with the effervescence and fruit flavors of a Prosecco, and also pair well with the lighter-bodied style of a Pinot Noir 

·         Funky Cheeses

o   Wine: Skinnygirl® Pinot Noir, Riesling, Burgundy

o   Cheese: Muenster, Fontina, Pecorino, Asiago

o   Why it works: Pinot Noirs and Rieslings can stand up to stinky cheeses, with their fruit flavors and high/juicy acidity

·         Firmer Aged Cheeses

o   Wine: Skinnygirl® Chardonnay, Skinnygirl® Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, Dry sherry

o   Cheese: Manchego, Gruyère, cheddar, Parmesan, Gouda

o   Why it works: Red wines with some tannin, full-bodied whites or sherry work well with flavorful firmer cheeses

·         Blue Cheeses

o   Wine: Skinnygirl® Moscato, Skinnygirl® Cabernet Sauvignon, California Zinfandels, dessert wines such as sweet sherry and port

o   Cheese: Roquefort, Stilton, Gorgonzola Dolce

o   Why it works: Rich dessert wines and full-bodied, fruity California Cabernets or Zinfandels pair nicely with the strong flavor of blue cheese

Review: Skinnygirl Spicy Lime Margarita & Skinnygirl Pinot Noir

Wow! The new Skinnygirl Spicy Lime Margarita is soooo good! Classic margarita flavor with just the right amount of heat. 

And the new Skinnygirl Pinot Noir is light and enjoyable, even for someone like me who doesn't prefer red wines.