On the Go with Moscato: Dining Al Fresco

The phrase "al fresco" comes from Italian meaning in the cool air. Even though Italians prefer other phrases these days, we still like to use the term al fresco to refer to dining outside.

Remember how we made frosé as the perfect summer drink back in August? Well, now that we're officially in fall, the weather here in the Bay is perfect for trying a new wine varietal. It's not summer hot nor winter cold, which makes it great for dining al fresco. And nothing goes better with an outdoor meal than Seven Daughters Moscato.

I've always been into Moscato. It's super easy to drink and goes with practically anything. And with the help of Seven Daughters, I can choose to drink my Moscato in either bottle or can form. The Moscato cans are especially wonderful for al fresco dining. Each seat at the table can get their own single serve can of wine with hints of delicious sweat peach, floral and honey. The four-pack 250ml cans are well-balanced, convenient and perfect to drink chilled.

Bringing the Inside, Out

Back when I bought my house a couple years ago, I was excited to finally have a dining room area. This meant that I could get my hands on my dream dining table set. I was looking for a farmhouse table and one other thing in particular: a bench seat. Fortunately, I found that dining set, and its rustic, unfinished feel makes it perfect for both indoor and outdoor dining. Since it's autumn, I included some of my favorite decorative -- and real -- pumpkins and gold foil leaves.

7 Tips for Al Fresco Dining

• Keep the food light! Outdoor dining always makes me think of picnic dishes like fruit, cheese and small bites.
• Don't limit dining outside to just dinner -- brunch is the perfect time to enjoy a meal outdoors!
• Switch up your wine routine. While many people like to enjoy red wine during dinner, I like to mix in Moscato, especially when eating outside.
• If you can, set your table on the west side so you can watch the sunset during your meal.
• Embrace the outdoors. Don't be afraid to add outside elements to your tablescape décor.
• Have a playlist. Music is a must when dining outside to really set the mood. You'll feel like you're dining at a private concert!
• Lighting is key! Candles and votives are great, but I like to also have dusk to dawn string lights that will help light up your dinner as soon as the sun goes down.

Ways to Drink Moscato

As I stated earlier, you can really drink Moscato straight out of the can and with just about anything. But Seven Daughters Moscato is also great when it comes to cocktails. If you're looking for a few cocktail options for your next al fresco brunch, then try a bellini or mimosa made with Moscato.

Some Moscato, sugar and frozen mixed berries (thawed out) are all you need for the perfect berry bellini. Just blend the berries and sugar together and then pour some Moscato on top for this brunch classic. The same can be done for a mimosa! Just substitute the orange juice for grapefruit juice and the champagne for Moscato. Garnish with a little sage and you're good to go.

If you're looking to try the Seven Daughters Moscato for yourself, then be sure to check out the wine finder page on their website. Retail stores where you can find this wine and other varietals include Target, Whole Foods, BevMo and more. You can even shop for Seven Daughters on Uncorked.com where you can save 20% on your order with code MUSE7D.

This post was sponsored by Seven Daughters. All opinions are my own.