A toast to summer

LIGHT SUMMER CUISINE IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO ‘ BUST OUT OF YOUR WINE RUT’

Delectable summer wines. Ultimate pairings. Throwing the perfect gathering while respecting coronavirus safety concerns. Sandra Guibord’s first wine lifestyle book won’t be out until fall, but that doesn’t mean we have to wait until apple- picking season for this Connecticut- based wine expert to share her top tips on summer entertaining.

The Fairfield resident and founder of Sandra’s Wine Life, who has 20 years in the industry, was happy to answer all of our questions — even the embarrassing ones, like: “Do you have to spend a certain amount to get a decent bottle of wine?” And: “What should you do if you’re one of those people who finds it daunting to navigate a wine store?”

But first, some background: Where does she hang her hat, and how did she become a wine expert? ( Can we become wine experts? It sounds like a good gig.)

Sandra’s Wine Life / Contributed photo Fairfield resident Sandra Guibord, founder of Sandra’s Wine Life, is an expert with two decades of experience in the industry. She understands why some people find it daunting to navigate wine stores and shares great ideas for summer entertaining, saying, “if a wine is super expensive, it better well be terrific!”