An unorthodox New Year’s resolution for wine lovers

I'VE BEEN PROCRASTINATING in my making of New Year's resolutions because I don't want to be new and improved.

I don't want to endeavor. I don't want to study. I don't want to practice. I don't want to strive.

Then it hit me. What I really want is something unorthodox: to have fun. When I share my belated resolution with people, they are quick to ask if I have others.

“No, just the one,” I reply.

I tell them I want to give this pledge my all. With that in mind, I've made a list for 2020: wine adventures to help me stick to my resolution. Give them a try.

Create impromptu blind tasting

Whether it's a casual gathering or a serious dinner party, surprise your guests by rigging up a simple blind tasting.

Stop in a wine shop and buy some brown bags and bottlings you've been curious to try. Then uncork three bottles of whites or reds, slip them in the bags and voila - you're set with a lineup. The side benefit? It will give you a welcome break from politics and let your palates debate for a change.

Interact with Wine

Put on a white coat and blend wine in a lab. Or stroll down a passageway and sniff your way through a parade of scents.

There are some edgy wineries on the North Coast that coax you to interact with wine, through themed tours or blending sessions where you can create personalized bottles of red wine. A few of the best are Sonoma's Buena Vista Winery (buenavistawinery.com), Santa Rosa's DeLoach Vineyards (deloachvineyards.com) and St. Helena's Raymond Vineyards (raymondvineyards.com).

Vintner Jean-Charles Boisset, who owns this trio of wineries, said people want more than a tasting salon these days.

“Tasting wine is just one way to enjoy wine's magical properties,” Boisset said. “There are so many additional enlightening experiences you can have.”

Sip at the Golden Gate Bridge

Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset with a glass of your favorite rosé. No need to sip from Riedel glassware. A simple plastic glass will do to take in the ultimate pairing: San Francisco's chalky white skyline with a splash of rosé. Impressive producers include Kokomo, Quivira and Bedrock.

Eat, drink and savor

Visit a restaurant you've been wanting to try, in a beautiful setting.

At Greens restaurant in San Francisco's Fort Mason, indulging takes on new meaning. Because everything on the menu is vegetarian, moderation is built into the experience. This is helpful for foodies and wine lovers with a tendency to misbehave because of their hedonistic leanings. Some particularly great dishes include the Blackened Hodo Tofu, the Saffron Rigatoni and the Vegetable Masala Curry.

As for wine pairings, Greens has some delectable options like the Navarro pinot noir, the Handley pinot gris and the Loimer gruner veltliner.

Of course, Greens offers more than just a spectacular food and wine match. Part of a former military base, Greens's architecture offers a broad sweep of windows. It's perfect for taking in a view of the bay, with sea lions and their pups napping on the rocks.

Go on an exotic picnic

Drive down Coleman Valley Road with a bottle of bubbly and a basket of treats - a baguette, goat cheese and olives. You can pick up this curvy road in the town of Occidental and spy llamas, cattle, goats and chickens on the drive. There's a place to stop for viewing right before you reach Bodega Bay, and you can set up your picnic there. As for the sparkler, consider these boutique producers: Benovia, Flaunt and Inman.

If you're reluctant to make a New Year's resolution, perhaps you should try a ridiculously fun, low-achievement version. As the late comic Sid Caesar put it, “In between goals is a thing called life, that has to be lived and enjoyed.”

Wine writer Peg Melnik can be reached at peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5310.