Rosé: Because summer is just around the corner.

It’s been a long couple of weeks, as we’ve worked to put the finishing touches on our annual best of the city issue. We’re all exhausted. A low-grade sickness has spread around the office. We’re not eating that well, and some of us are having a hard time getting a good night’s sleep. You see, dear readers, what we do for you?

I’ve finally recovered from my own bout with illness, just in time to share with you my favorite spring food ritual—something I love more than the season’s first strawberries, fava beans, and asparagus—the day when I decide the season has arrived and uncork my first (of many) bottles of Domaine de Fontsainte Gris de Gris. This brilliant rosé, imported by Kermit Lynch in Berkeley, is everything you want in a Sunday afternoon wine. It’s got bright acidity, has a refreshing, thirst-quenching quality, and is only $12 at most Whole Foods. This wine, plus a wedge of goat cheese, some bread and a dish of black olive tapenade, will make most afternoons better. And, since we all know that the best offense is a good defense, I’d suggest you buy a case. After all, it’s a long way until Labor Day, and you want to be prepared.