I know it's February, but my wine thoughts are still in December. I spent New Year's Eve and the week after in Florida. The weather was hot and sunny by day and cool and comfortable at night. We had a casual gathering of friends and family on New Year's Eve that started with champagne at sunset (the always versatile, tasty and VERY affordable Barefoot Bubbly Brut) and included a pitch-in buffet of sandwiches, Italian meatballs, cheeses, crudite, dips, Fresh strawberries from the farmer's market and home-made ginger snaps and chocolate chunk cookies for dessert.

What wine to serve with that wide variety of food? Tried and true bottles all ended up empty at the end of the evening. Which is once again a good reminder that even on a special occasion you don't have to go overboard when it comes to serving wine.

The dry, grassy, Mercer Sauvignon Blanc worked for the vegetarians and white wine fans. The MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir offered a more rustic, earthy, red fruit forward beverage and highly complemented the meats and cheeses. The Prophecy Cabernet Sauvignon's smoky, spicy, full bodied, richness also made it a smart choice for the heartier dishes and a surprisingly good drink with the desserts.

The best part of New Year's Eve on the beach is the fireworks in the sky at midnight. Virtually every resort shoots off a spectacular professional show. The view from our deck overlooking the Gulf was filled with color, light and sparkle and made an appropriate reflection in the sky of what took place at our table earlier.