Charcuterie and Albariño at San Martiño -

Oh, what a night! I had the loveliest time at San Martiño Winery & Vineyards with my friend Jessica this evening. This hidden gem is in my darling lakeside town of Rockwall, Texas about thirty minutes east of Dallas. It’s a small, family-owned vineyard with exception wine. The family has been making wine in northern Spain for over six hundred years! They really know wine. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bottle of San Martiño that I didn’t love. It’s a must-visit place if you’re ever in the area.

One of the best things about visiting San Martiño is that picnicking is encouraged. Jessica thoughtfully offered to bring two Foxtrot Market cheese and charcuterie boxes, which I turned into a board. (For the record, the key to my heart is 100% through hard meats and soft cheeses.) She got the French and Spanish boxes, to which I added Italian marinated mushrooms, Kalamata olives, strawberries, grapes, rosemary crackers, and herbs from my garden.

The Spanish Charcuterie Board came with 12-month serrano ham, chorizo, buttered mahon, 3-month manchego cheese, an olive assortment, medjool dates, grapes, spicy quicos, and quince mostarda. The French Charcuterie Board came with saucisson sec, jambon de Paris, brie, demi vieille mimolette, grapes, olives, nuts, and fig and shallot jam (which was incredible!). It was so fun to have her bring a whole selection of goodies like this for me to play with. Thanks, Jessica!

We got a table right next to the vines to nosh on our fabulous board. It’s not too hot in Texas yet and it felt amazing to sit in the sunshine after so much rain. There are tons of tables outside at San Martiño next to the vines, around the fire pit, in a wooded area, and under the covered pavilion. There’s even couches so you can sit back and relax.

Spring Vineyard Charcuterie board Picnic — The jars kept my serving platter oil-free and added some nice height to the board

Jessica looked so festive with her hair pulled up! It really showed off her off-the-shoulder skirt and top combo. I was going for a bit of “Disney princess chic” this evening. My grey dress was a steal on Amazon and it’s stretchy and flowy – an excellent choice for a night of wine and cheese on a warm evening! I wore lace-up espadrilles and kept cool with my hair in a pony tail tied with a matching grey ribbon.

We ordered a bottle of 2016 Albariño to go with our spread. I loved it so much that I bought another bottle to take home and enjoy on another occasion. It’s light and juicy and thirst quenching, like a southern peach on a hot summer day. It went strikingly well with most everything on the board too.

I also brought Strawberry Cupcakes for dessert. Get the recipe here. It was a magical, much needed evening. There’s truly nothing better than sharing a bottle of wine with great company on a beautiful night. Want to see more of San Martiño? Read this.