Planning the Perfect Picnic (with Wine!)
What’s better than a picnic? A picnic with wine! Whether with friends or with your romantic partner, a winery picnic is a great way to celebrate the great weather and have some fun. Planning the perfect picnic isn’t as difficult as it may seem. With this wine picnic guide, you won’t forget one single thing in your picnic basket!
Now, let’s pack for your picnic!
Planning the perfect picnic: what you’ll need
While picnic items can vary depending on the style and the wine or food you have, there are certain wine picnic essentials you must have. Here they are!
- A corkscrew/Wine key – A wine picnic must have a good corkscrew or wine key. And, don’t just bring one – have at least two. You’ll never know if you might lose one or if you want to open two bottles at once!
- Glasses – How else will you drink your wine? Drinking from the bottle isn’t exactly group-friendly…! Bring your nice glasses if you like. But, remember – this is a picnic! You will be transporting everything, which increases your chances of breakage. It’s up to you if you want your real wine glasses. You can also opt for plastic wine glasses or stemless glasses. Although these aren’t the best for tasting wine, they do a great job of helping you enjoy your picnic.
- Wine chillers – There’s nothing better than a crisp glass of wine in the sun. To ensure that your sparkling, white wine or chillable red stays fresh during your picnic, you’ll need ice. Lugging a bag of ice to fill a wine bucket may be tough. That’s why wine chillers exist. They keep your bottle cool as you continue your picnic party. Just make sure you keep your wine out of the sun.
- Water – Drinking alcohol dehydrates you, and that’s a fact. If you’re going to be hanging in the hot sun, you should stock up on water. Having water will help everyone feel good (and allow you to drink a little more wine!)
- Something plain to eat – If you plan on drinking different types of wine, it’s always good to have crackers or bread around. Eating these help cleanse the palette so that everyone can taste each wine as best as possible.
How to make your picnic pretty
Creating a picturesque picnic is all in the details. With this list, you can add the right touches to your wine picnic, making it gorgeous and highly ‘Instagrammable.’
- A beautiful basket – a traditional picnic must have a basket! Packing an adorable basket ties your picnic altogether. Just don’t forget to add ice packs if you have food that needs to stay chilled.
- Eye-catching blanket – What’s a picnic without a blanket? To make sure everyone is comfortable (and their clothes stay dry and grass-stain free,) a blanket is necessary. But, don’t go for just any blanket. Pick one that is soft, pretty, and matches the rest of your picnic’s aesthetic.
- Flowers – To brighten up your picnic, flowers add a lovely touch. Flowers will add flair to your picnic and make it pop in photos. Note – if you’re doing a wine tasting, make sure you don’t bring flowers with a strong smell. This will affect the wine sniffing experience.
- Cloth napkins – Eating always requires napkins. Using pretty cloth napkins is a worthy investment when planning the perfect picnic. Not only are cloth napkins elegant, but they’re more eco-friendly too. Using washable napkins limits your picnic waste.
- Colorful food – Choosing foods that coordinate with your picnic may sound silly. However, when you see how beautiful it makes everything look, you’ll be very pleased. Plus, if you’re having a picnic in the summer, you must take advantage of summer’s bounty of vibrant fruits and veggies.
Wines perfect for a picnic
The truth is – you can bring any wine you want to your picnic. But, certain wines pair well with picnics.
Sparkling wines
There’s nothing like a little bubbly on a sunny day. Sparkling wines are approachable and usually make everyone happy. That’s why they are so great to include when planning your perfect picnic. Even better, many dry sparkling wines pair well with classic picnic foods, like salads, hummus, or chicken salad sandwiches.
Sparkling wine to try: HAQ Spumante Brut
Rosé
Why not pair your pretty picnic with pink wine? Rosé is a true symbol of spring and summer, making it a popular pick for a wine picnic. There are so many rosés to love, so you can’t get bored.
P.S. There are even sparkling rosés to try too!
Rosé wine to try: Domenico Winery 2021 Sirene Rosé
Crisp white wines
Just like sparkling wines, white wines with great acidity are refreshing when hanging outside. Wines like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or dry Rieslings are all excellent crisp white wines for picnics. Just make sure you have ice or a wine chiller to guarantee they stay cool. If your white wine gets too warm, it loses its refreshing effect.
White wine to try: Domenico Winery 2020 Pinot Grigio
Chillable reds
We are in the age of chillable reds for a good reason. These red wines are light-bodied and easy-going, pleasing even those who don’t love red wines. These red wines usually carry the fruit, acidity, and lightness that many white wines tend to have. Gamay, light styles of Pinot Noir, or Dolcetto are all examples of common chillable reds. So, don’t be fooled by a color – try a chillable red!
Chilled red wine to try: Domenico Winery 2018 Pinot Noir
Do you feel ready to have your picnic? We sure hope so. With this guide to planning the perfect picnic, we know that you’ll have the best time ever.
