Boy, time sure does fly. Here it is, June already, and it doesn't seem like it has slowed down a bit. On top of that, holidays are right around the corner, and we're starting to hear from friends and family about their vacations. I guess that's one of the downfalls of living in paradise!

I did have a nice surprise a couple of weeks back when I got an e-mail from an old high school cohort. Come to find out, in the 30 plus years I haven't seen him, he got married and bought a house in Colorado, the last place I saw him. He and his wife were going to visit her family on the east coast near Daytona before going on a fossil expedition while visiting the Venice Sharks Tooth Festival.

We made plans to get together on their way there, meet each others' better halves and do some reminiscing. Not knowing the couple that well, I wasn't sure as to what to offer them as a beverage. As fate would have it, they brought along a gift of a nice bottle of wine. We spent a pleasant afternoon talking about old times over glasses of a delicious rosé from Charles and Charles.

This young 2015 wine from Columbia Valley in Washington State was refreshing as could be. It offered crisp strawberry citrus flavors with good minerality and great acidity. We were all pleasantly surprised at how well the wine washed down our steamed shrimp. It made for a fun afternoon. Going forward I should consider keeping a couple of bottles of rosé around for upcoming occasions.

We just enjoyed Memorial Day week with the family here, but that story is better suited to a beer column. As expected, it was a really busy week, so we decided to plan ahead a little better for our next celebration, Fathers Day. With over 70 million dads in the U.S., that alone is a good reason to plan ahead. Given a choice by our kids or asking our own fathers what they would like to do usually leads to the same answer – eating and drinking.

If you opt to go to your favorite restaurant, make your reservations early or arrive early if you can't reserve a table. The other favorite option is usually a cookout. It's pretty hard to beat a grilled burger, steak or a filet of fresh fish. Pair it up with a nice bottle of wine and a couple of your favorite side dishes and you're all set.

Here are a couple of suggestions for that holiday cookout. If it's really hot you might throw some grapes or other appropriate fruit, be it berries or cherries, in the freezer to drop in your glass of wine to keep it chilled. Another suggestion – any time you have leftover wine pour it into an ice cube tray and then put the frozen cubes in a baggie. Whenever you need wine for a recipe use your cubes – it will save you from opening another good bottle of wine for your sauce if you're not planning on drinking that wine. Usually three cubes equals about ½ cup.

As far as picking your wines, always remember your food and wine basics ~ delicate with delicate, bold with bold. A humble meal goes best with a humble wine, whereas a rich, fatty rib roast might call for that elegant burgundy. A delicate piece of white fish might go well with a nice sauvignon blanc, but a rich, buttery sauce might require a more acidic wine to cleanse your palate. The same goes for pairing a grilled burger, maybe with a zinfandel or a blended wine, as opposed to that bone in ribeye steak paired with an elegant malbec or cabernet sauvignon.

The other option, going to your favorite restaurant, allows you to pick that meal and wine together, and you can even ask for suggestions. Until next time...

Strawberry Coconut Remoulade

Ingredients:

• 1-12 oz. can coconut milk

• 6 Tbs. cornstarch

• 1 pint of florida strawberries- picked stems

• ¼ cup sweet chili glaze

• ¼ cup mayonnaise

• 1 Tbs. cilantro

• Salt & pepper

Directions:

Whisk cornstarch and coconut milk together in small saucepot, making sure to smooth out all the chunks. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat. Once it achieves a simmer it will thicken(slurry). Set aside to cool. Add berries, cilantro, and other ingredients to a blender to blend smooth. You may leave chunky if that's your style.