Country Picnic Wine

You bring the ants and I'll bring the country picnic wine.

No matter what the season, anytime is a good time for a picnic. Yes, I also include winter as a good time. Some of my favorite picnics have been on cross-country skiing jaunts with friends into the snowy woods, sharing sandwiches and passing the bota bag of Chianti around. When it comes to picnics, wine is an imperative partner, it's the Dr. Watson to Sherlock Holmes, the Sonny to Cher, the Kevin Federline to Britney Spears...no, wait a minute, that's not a partnership, that's wine vinegar. Ah yes, it's tough to beat a picnic. There's the fresh outdoors, the companions, the food and the final accoutrement that binds it all together, the wine. Getting all the ingredients to collaborate is the trick for a successful picnic. The following isn't a strict manual but some basic suggestions on putting one together.

There are no set rules about a country picnic wine but if I saw someone pull out a Screaming Eagle or Opus One I would think that it was, some fancy "la-dee-da" picnic and I would expect to see some duck confit, paté, and truffles in the picnic basket. Most picnics however lean towards more simple fare: the cold chicken, ham, smoked salmon, cheese, sushi, salads (pasta, potato, green, Jell-O), snacks and fruit. As a simple rule it's better to match the wine to food as well. Meaning simpler wines for simpler foods, robust to robust, delicate to delicate. In that regard it's a good idea to stick to easy quaffing reds, rosés and whites that are not big on drama, excessively flabby or condescendingly mawkish. That also means that a good country picnic wine won't be overly expensive either and that's not a bad thing.

Go with crisp, clean, fruity whites with some acidity to pair with your picnic food.

• Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blancs come from around the world and have fun comparing a Sancerre from France with Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand, Napa Valley, and South Africa. These are jazzy whites with a broad range of citrus and tropical fruits with mineral and herbal tones and one of the food-friendliest wines around. Check out Best Sauvignon Blancs Under $15 for some ideas.

• Chenin Blanc

Try some of these fruity and floral whites with good acidity from the French Loire Valley (Vouvray, Anjou, Saumur). These can be bone-dry to slightly sweet.

• Riesling

These are low alcohol wines with intense flavors of stone fruit, melons, minerals and good acidity. Rieslings range from dry to sweeter. I like to match up French Alsatian Rieslings with sushi or other Asian cuisine.

• Pinot Gris

Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio are bone-dry whites with acidity that are easy drinking and unpretentious and very picnic appropriate.

• Chardonnay

Tough to dispute its ubiquitous popularity, Chardonnay has big flavors of apples, tropical fruit, citrus, vanilla, butter and a host of textures and styles.

Rosé wines were born for picnics and a tough-to-beat with a cold chicken leg. Rosés are bend over flexible with food.

There are endless red choices. Try to pick lighter to medium-bodied reds and avoid big burly tannin ones or big fruit Zinfandel bombs.

• Rhône-Style Reds

To me, a Côtes-du-Rhône, Syrah, Shiraz, Grenache/Garnacha wines are never a mistake as a country wine picnic wines. They are rustic, racy and ribald in nature with leather, smoked meat, blackberries, spice and peppery flavors. These are the wines that I think of on a summer afternoon by a stream in Provence and sharing a baguette, jambon, pâte de campagne, brie and a simple Côtes-du-Rhône with friends and family.

• Pinot Noir

When in doubt Pinot Noir will build your confidence. Choose between a California, Oregon or New Zealand version or roll the dice with a Burgundy and turn your picnic into a sensual experience with earthy aromas and flavors.

• Zinfandel

Zins can be risky, especially if they are those brawny California fruit bombs that will make one swoon. But go with a jammy blackberry-plummy type that don't make your head spin and they should work fine.

• Tempranillo

Young and fruity Ribera del Duero or Rioja reds will do the trick as nicely as a Rhône.

• Chianti/Sangiovese

Good ones are earthy with complex structure and bright acidity and will encourage people to talk with their hands.

A picnic can be organized complicated affairs or spontaneous outdoor soirées. You can spend time and effort concocting chicken, ham, potato salad, hors d'oeuvres, pie and what-nots. Or, just go down to your favorite deli and get some sandwiches, grab a bottle of vino, toss them into your picnic basket and head to your picnic spot. Good advice is to bring an ice cooler to keep your food and wine chilled and safe. You can also use gel-based ice jackets that fit over the Sauvignon Blanc that will keep it iced properly. Don't forget the glasses and corkscrew.

Many wineries have picnic areas for their guests and welcome them to rest and experience their little bit of wine country. Check ahead if you are planning to visit a winery if picnics are allowed and if reservations are required. Also, it's good etiquette to purchase a bottle of the winery's wine and not get caught drinking some outside interloper's. The following is a sampling of wineries in Napa Valley that will make picnickers feel at home.

• Clos Pegase
• St. Clement
• Chateau Potelle
• Rutherford Grove
• Louis Martini
• Clos du Val
• V. Sattui

Picnic spots abound, almost anyplace where one can spread a blanket will do, even the backyard. However, please heed local ordinances that may restrict alcoholic consumption in public areas, parks and beaches. It's best to determine if it's okay to uncork the Chardonnay before committing a misdemeanor. However, my all-time favorite picnic was sitting on a bench at the tip of the Ile de la Cité in Paris with a beguiling Brouilly to drink, an onion tarte to eat and watching the boats and barges cruise by on the Seine. I had no clue if it was legal or not but the gendarmes were less intrusive than ants on that day. Bon!

• Sonoma Winery Tours
• Interesting Facts About Wine
• How to Throw a Wine Tasting Party
• Definitions Of Wine Types
• Is Red Wine Good For You

• Dry Red Wine Types
• Red Wine Calories
• Wine Calories
• Wine Serving Temperatures
• Best Red Wine Under $15

• Red Wine Tasting Basics
• California Wine Country Trips
• Category:Food Pairings
• Box Wine
• Rose Wines