photo courtesy of Toni Wahid's flickr feed

Summer is now in full swing, so grab the corkscrew and glasses. Find a lovely outdoor space, sit back… and enjoy!

If you’re planning a dinner, have a glass of J Pinot Gris, Russian River Valley, CA ($11) on the patio at Sonoma Restaurant & Wine Bar. Drink refreshing crisp citrus Pinot Grigio, in the sun, for $6 a glass from Café 8.

However, with a little research and picking your days right, you can find some real deals.  Capitol Lounge offers half price bottle on Saturday’s.  Take a quick ride on the red line to Dupont Circle on a Monday night and you’ll find Veritas Wine Bar with a great selection of bottles at half price. The Argonaut also has a half price night on Mondays.

And for those days that you just want to kick back and relax and stay local, head for Schneider’s of Capitol Hill wine store. You can count on them for plenty of online and in store deals and discounts. Don’t get caught without some great, affordable wine in your fridge for that impromptu ‘Drinks at mine’ after a long day at the office. Wunsch and Mann’s Alsatian Pinot Gris, marked down from $22.99 to $7.99 on Schneider’s site, is just too good to turn down.

Life is too short… and the summer is even shorter, so wherever you are, whatever your doing, raise your glass… and CHEERS!