‘Tis the season for barbecues, weeknight dinners on the deck, and quality time with the ones you love. Whether it’s a Fourth of July outdoor soiree or a casual get together with friends on a summer afternoon, we have some ideas to help make your backyard barbecue special:

Plan wisely. Not sure about how much wine, beer and spirits to buy? Download our Drink-U-Lator app to help calculate what you’ll need for the size of your party and your party guests’ preferred beverages.

Stock up. When you’re at the store ,don’t forget to look for our new Wine Sisterhood Wines. And while you’re at it, enter our Pin-to-Win Contest! Simply take a photo when you find Wine Sisterhood’s new red or white, Pin It (or email it to winesisterhood@gmail.com), and you could win a trip for two to Napa! (Make sure we see your entry on Pinterest by emailing us a link, tweeting it to us, commenting on this post with a link or letting us know on our Facebook Page).

Dress up those hot dogs. Think beyond ketchup and mustard by trying out one of these ideas for creating delicious “haute dogs.”

Serve them something different. Sure, burgers and dawgs can do the trick, but we think this Asian-inspired recipe for grilled beef satay could really wow your guests.

Deck out your tables. Turn wine bottles into centerpieces with festive tags. Free printable tags like these from Living Locurto stand out in a sea of red, white and blue.  

Add some flavorful fun to the bar. Set up a festive DIY sangria bar incorporating fruits with colors and shapes that build on the festive theme: try BLUEberries, RED rasberries and strawberries, even Starfruit (WHITE?)! Pour in some of our new Middle Sister Wild One Malbec or Glamour Girl Bubbly to pull it all together.   

Top it off with a sweet treat. Even if you don’t drink beer, you’ll love it in these cupcakes! After the fireworks are over, top off your night with one or two of these Guinness Cupcakes.

Wishing you a happy Fourth of July and cheers to a nice, long summer!