Sipping for the Season - Pairing Wine and Weather

Most people believe there are no seasons in Florida, and all we have is hot, sunny, humid weather year-round – they couldn’t be more wrong! After living here on the Gulf Coast of Florida for over three years now, I have discovered that there are actually multiple seasons in Florida – six in fact! Here is my seasonal calendar for Sarasota, along with the best wines to pair with each season!

Morning rainbow in Lakewood Ranch

There are certain times throughout the year for Floridians that it seems like the weather is stuck in neutral and might not ever change. For instance, in August, we have already endured three months of heat and humidity, but we still have at least two months of that soul-crushing weather to endure. But if you really analyze the data and observe the weather on a regular basis, it turns out that you can actually define multiple seasons over the course of the year.

Based on my analysis, I have developed a new seasonal calendar for Sarasota that accurately conveys the six different seasons we experience here in paradise each year. And of course, no calendar would be complete without some advice/guidance on what wines pair best with each of the seasons. My calendar starts in December– let’s go!

December/January: The season of joy and bliss

Average high temperature: 73; Average low temperature: 54; Average monthly rainfall: 1.9 in.

There’s no better weather in the U.S. in December and January than what we experience down here in Sarasota. The days are cool with low humidity, the nights are chilly enough for sweatshirts out on the lanai, and the sun shines almost every day with little chance for rain. In a word, perfection! Every so often, we experience a few days where it actually gets down-right cold – like temperatures in the upper 30’s at night. That’s when you wake up to the sound of your spa running, a safety feature to ensure the pool pipes don’t freeze!

The wines that pair best for this time of year include bigger, bolder and richer wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and oaked Chardonnay. My favorite Cabernet Sauvignon producers include Courtney Benham, J. Lohr Estates, Decoy, Alexander Valley Vineyards, and Daou. My favorite oaked Chardonnay producers include Wente, Cambria, Kali Hart, La Crema, Mer Soleil, and Daou.

February/March: The season of more joy and bliss

Average high temperature: 77; Average low temperature: 56; Average monthly rainfall: 1.8 in.

The absolutely perfect weather continues for the next two-month season with warmer (but not hot) days, low humidity, and sunshine galore! This is the height of our visitor season where our friends and family converge on Sarasota to escape the cold up north and enjoy the warm sunshine. This is also the season where the sunsets are sublime and where Laurie and I usually enjoy an evening cocktail while watching the sun set behind our house each night.

The wines that pair best for this time of year include lighter reds such as Pinot Noir and Chianti, a beautiful Italian red wine made from the Sangiovese grape. I also enjoy sipping Chardonnay this time of year as well. My favorite Pinot Noir producers include Meiomi, A to Z, Willamette Valley Vineyards, Siduri, and Ponzi. My favorite Chianti producers include Antinori, Tesoro della Regina, and Frescobaldi.

Winter sunset behind our home in Lakewood Ranch

April/May: The season of longing and foreboding

Average high temperature: 85; Average low temperature: 65; Average monthly rainfall: 2.7 in.

I call this two-month season the season of longing and foreboding, because you can start to see summer on the horizon (that’s the foreboding part) and winter & spring slowly drifting away (that’s the longing part). April and the first part of May are still beautiful, with highs in the mid-80’s but humidity still temperate. Morning walks are still delightful, and rain is still hard to come by. Once mid-May rolls around, the heat and humidity start to ramp up and summer moves in quickly. Sometimes it even starts at the beginning of May – it’s really a crap shoot. For example, May of 2023 was beautiful with most days in the 80’s and humidity almost non-existent. May of 2024 was hot and humid the entire time, with high’s most days in the mid-90’s – like I said, it’s a crap shoot!

My favorite wines for this time of year include Rose wines to welcome the warmer weather, and sparkling wine to provide a refreshing answer to the slightly (and sometimes significantly) higher temperatures in May. My favorite Rose producers include Gaslighter, Chateau Miraval, Wolffer Estate, and Belle Gloss. My favorite sparkling wine producers include Gruet, Domaine Carneros, Mumm, Roederer, Schramsberg, and J Vineyards.

June/July: The season of despair and despondency

Average high temperature: 90; Average low temperature: 74; Average monthly rainfall: 7.9 in.

My second-to-least favorite two-month season, I call June and July the season of despair and despondency. It’s when every morning greets you with obscene levels of humidity, and “feels like” temperatures in the 80’s (and that’s at 8:00 am)! The days are hot and humid, with little relief until the afternoons when the daily thunderstorms come rolling in to dump amazing amounts of rain in incredibly short periods of time. Sometimes the rain cools things off to an almost comfortable level; other times it just makes things worse and helps to ramp up the humidity even more. Thankfully, having a pool in our covered lanai allows us to still enjoy being outside and keeps us cool. Also, it’s the season of despondency because once it’s over, there’s only worse to come for the next two months. Brutal!

My favorite wines for this season include light whites like Pinot Gris, and Spanish Albarino. My favorite Pinot Gris/Grigio producers include Armani, Acrobat, Eola Hills, Kings Estate, and Cooper Mountain. My favorite Albarino producers include Burgans, Alma Terra, Pallas, and Seastone.

Cooling off on a boat in Sarasota Bay

August/September: The season of fear and loathing

Average high temperature: 90; Average low temperature: 74; Average monthly rainfall: 8.3 in.

While hurricane season runs from June through November, the months where most of the hurricane activity occurs include August and September, the height of hurricane season – hence the fear and loathing descriptor. This is my absolute least favorite two-month season of the year – no contest. Not only does Florida double down on the heat and humidity this time of year (it’s relentless!), but we get to add in daily tracking of areas of instability from Africa to the Caribbean, to the Gulf of Mexico which could turn into tropical storms and then hurricanes at any time. In years like 2024, it can get downright exhausting watching the storms form, one after the other, and then start heading in your direction. This past year we had Hurricane Debby, which dumped 22.5 inches of rain on us over 48 hours, and then Hurricane Helene followed by Hurricane Milton which devastated the Sarasota and Bradenton beaches with epic storm surges. The winds were pretty nasty too. But it’s just part of life down here in Florida so you learn to live with it and not ever panic.

My favorite wines for this season include Chenin Blanc, a lovely white wine that’s made in South Africa, France, and the U.S. It’s a fruit-forward wine that is thirst quenching as well. I also love Cabernet Franc this time of year, a lighter red wine that hails from Bordeaux in France but is also produced in the U.S., and especially on the east coast. While this variety can be difficult to find, most wine stores have at least a small selection to choose from. My favorite Chenin Blanc producers include Aperture, L’ Ecole 41, Pine Ridge, and Saldo. My favorite Cabernet Franc producers include Early Mountain Vineyards (Virginia), Chappelle, and The Vice Vineyards.

October/November: The season of hope and change

Average high temperature: 83; Average low temperature: 64; Average monthly rainfall: 2.5 in.

The final two-month season is the season of hope and change, stealing from Obama’s 2008 campaign slogan. Hope, because the worst of the summer weather and hurricane season is finally behind us and change because the temperatures moderate into the low 80’s during the day, the humidity retreats, and the nights and mornings are cool and refreshing. This is the season where we go back outside to watch the sunsets each evening, and to eat our dinners al fresco on our lanai. It’s also the start of six months where I lay in my hammock or sit out on our lanai every day to read and nap.

My favorite wines for this season include Zinfandel and Viognier. Zinfandel because it’s a richer, more robust wine that pairs well with cooler weather, and Viognier (a grape that hails from the Rhone region in France) which is a richer white wine that has floral notes and lush fruit character. My favorite Zinfandel producers include Biale, Seghesio, Ridge, Saldo, The Federalist, and Turley. My favorite Viognier producers include Pride, Yalumba, Cline, and Pine Ridge.

Now that you understand the different seasons down here in Florida, you can start planning your visit to Sarasota to match with the season that you enjoy the most, and also the wine you enjoy the most as well (because we will have plenty of that ready and waiting for you when you arrive)!

Summer sunset view from our lanai