Boy, how one year flies fast! This time last year we had literally just gotten married and were getting ready to leave on a 3-week honeymoon across Europe, kicking it all off in Germany. Robin and I both fell head-over-heels in love with Germany (like, it’s in our 5-year plan to actually move there for a bit), so when it came time to celebrate our 1 year of marriage, we knew we had to ring it in with something that was totally “us”. Cue: our cute AF picnic with German wines at the Painted Ladies here in San Francisco.
All the things I love into one date night: Germany, fantastic wine, local cheese, San Francisco views.
Bringing wine and a fancy cheese spread to the park is the norm here in San Francisco, and an activity we love to do together or with friends. Ditch the phones and hang out together – outside – and actually talk. I can’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon or, in this case, an evening! San Francisco fog pairs incredibly well with a dry German Pinot Noir, cheese, and good city views… blending all the things I love into one date night: Germany, fantastic wine, local cheese, San Francisco.
For this celebratory picnic, we picked Alamo Square, one of our favorite parks in the city because we both love the backdrop of the Painted Ladies and downtown San Francisco behind them. These are the Full House houses and also a very popular locals park, so we love hanging out here as much as possible. We stopped by our community market to pick up my favorite local cheese (Cowgirl Creamery coming in the win!), packed up our picnic basket, grabbed two bottles of German wine and headed out for a date night to celebrate one year of marriage. We spent most of the time reminiscing about our honeymoon, which we started in Munich, and plotting about how quickly we can get back to Europe.
Use code “WEINCRAFT” at Wine.com for 10% off 6+ bottles of German wines!
When you think of Germany, you usually think of beer and sausage, but boy, do they make some fantastic wines over there, and not just Riesling! After moving to California, we have totally become wine snobs and I don’t throw around the word fantastic lightly. The 2015 August Kesseler The Daily August Pinot Noir from the Rheingau region is one of my favorites, ever. It’s the perfect balance of cherries, wild berries and spice. It goes down very easy and paired really well with the local cheeses and grapes we picked out. We also brought along the 2016 von Winning Sauvignon Blanc II from the Pfalz region, a dry white wine with tropical notes that we are saving to pair with fish or chicken for dinner!
Next time you’re at the store, look for these labels or another German wine, I know you’ll thank me for the recommendation! Or just head to Wine.com where using code “WEINCRAFT” gets you a 10% discount on 6 or more German wines, now through December 31st!
Wine in the park in San Francisco is just one of the many reasons I love our life here. Below are some tips you can use for having a wine picnic in San Francisco with your friends!
Tips for drinking wine in San Francisco parks
- The most popular park to bring a bottle of wine to is Dolores Park. Especially on the weekend, as it’s usually always sunny over there! If you’re looking for a big crowd and people watching, head there. The smaller parks, like this one, has less people.
- No matter what park you pick, double check if there is a public bathroom as some don’t have any (Alama Square has two!)
- Bring a bottle (or two!) of German wine with you. Park days are meant for sipping on nice wine and Germany makes some of the best.
- Don’t forget your wine opener!
- Nobody will judge you if you go all out and bring cheese, fruit and other snacks. In fact, most people do and make a whole thing out of it!
- Bring a picnic blanket.
- Don’t forget to wear sunscreen (I have gotten burned more than one after a wine in the park day!)
- Skip the hard alcohol – that’s not allowed in parks. Only wine and beer!
I hope this helps you plan a time to grab loved ones or friends, a bottle of German wine and hit the San Francisco parks for a day outside! It’s one of my favorite activities and I loved celebrating our first year of marriage in front of the Painted Ladies with a bottle of Pinot Noir.
Don’t forget – use code “WEINCRAFT” at Wine.com for 10% off 6+ bottles of German wines, and once you receive them, post a photo on social media using #WinGermanWine and tagging @GermanWineUSA for a chance to win a $250 giftcard to Wine.com!
