Cookout season is in full swing and if you’re the lucky host, you should be receiving lots of host gifts in bottle form. So, whether you’re a host or a lucky guest, here are two really great choices to ensure you’ll be invited back next year:

1) Frei Brothers Reserve 2011 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($22.99)
This is a wine worthy of applause. So spectacular is this Russian River Valley gem, you’ll want to stock up before it’s gone for good. Made with grapes from the cool climate of the Valley’s vineyards, this wine is bright in color and rich with cherry and black fruit flavors. It’s got depth, and that’s a good thing.

2) Frei Brothers Reserve 2011 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($22.99)
There are more bottles of this wine on the shelves, so it’s not as urgent to stock up, but you’ll want to grab a bottle or two whenever you see this smooth cab from California’s Alexander Valley.

What’s even more special about Frei Brothers wines is that they are produced with eco-friendliness in mind. They have reduced their electricity enough to power 20 homes for an entire year; they’ve reduced their water use enough to supply 54 homes for a year, and their goal is to use half of the propane, which is the equivalent to removing 80 vehicles from the road in a year.

It’s all about the earth in mind when this wine is being produced, and it’s funny because when you taste it, all you think about is the terroir of earthy, richness that comes out in flavors so elegant and smooth, your mood is sure to lift off into a feel of luxury when you enjoy a glass given to you — merely because you wanted to host a cookout.