By Kristine Hansen, Special to OnMilwaukee.com   Published Sep 19, 2011 at 3:36 PM

I'll admit I've fallen off the wagon concerning my attendance at wine tastings this summer. But it's for one reason only: the weather. Who wants to spend a summer evening indoors when you can chill in your back yard with a glass of wine?

With autumn sailing in – bringing earlier sunsets and cooler nights – it's time to get back into the circuit. Chez Jacques, that quaint, yet hip, little bistro at 1022 S. 1st St., in Walkers Point, is hosting an outdoor tasting this Friday night in its courtyard that's a hidden gem in the neighborhood's industrial corridor. The tasting begins at 5 p.m. and will last about two
hours.

By partnering with Thief Wine, the selection of wines for this walk-around (in other words, no formal seating) tasting is magnifique. We're talking 25 carefully selected French wines, a mix of whites and reds, plus a few rosé wines (because it wouldn't be a French tasting without rosé, non?).

And don't think you have to dip into Chez Jacques' menu for some sustenance before driving home – although the thought of its Fromage de Chèvre à la Provençale, baked goat cheese with tomatoes, garlic and basil makes my mouth water.

The $25 fee includes access to light appetizers. No word on what, specifically, will be served but if it's designed to be paired with the wines my hunch is that it will be fabulous.

The deadline to sign up for this tasting is Wednesday. Send your interest to Chez Jacques at either (414) 672-1040 or chezjacq@chezjacques.com.