We have been on a little watermelon obsession lately, especially since it pairs so deliciously with our other summer addiction of French style dry Rosé wine. You can find many wonderful Rosé wines with refreshing fruit aromas like strawberry, raspberry, cherry, watermelon, honey and citrus to name a few. It is equally beautiful to sip these summery wines along with a sweeter fruit salad made of watermelon, fresh berries and citrus or a savory salad with watermelon, arugula or spinach and topped with salty feta. We just loved how fabulous a Curtis Heritage Rosé tasted with both of these dishes.

If you have a bottle of Syrah or other fruity red wine like Merlot, some honey and thyme you can make this adorable Poached Pear in wine for dessert. Because it was a chilly gloomy day in Santa Barbara the aromas of wine were really welcome in the house. The pears are now resting in their wine bath in the fridge until tomorrow.

It's good to have Sundays in Santa Barbara when the sun is out and the breeze plays across the waves and you sit in your backyard and enjoy a lovely early dinner risotto with shrimp. Sundays are full of hustle and bustle with many tourists descending upon the town with cameras and bicycles, overjoyed with all the activity Santa Barbara has to offer.