Perfect Picnics. Pack smart and sip well

Andi Healey
Web Manager

Credit - Hundred Hills Winery

I hope you are all enjoying the glorious weather we’re having at the moment. And just in case you’ve got some al fresco enjoyment planned, I though I’d share a few thoughts on how to get the best from your picnic Pinot (other picnic wines are available, but I was going for the alliteration!)

I’ve also got some great extra discounts on some of our value packs, from practical stemless to elegant stemware, and even a red, white and champagne selection box.

Fast forward a few hours: it's a glorious Saturday afternoon, you've found the perfect spot by the river, or in the park, the cheese is perfectly ripe, and you've remembered to bring a proper corkscrew. You pour the wine and... it tastes like disappointment, served in a plastic cup that's doing its absolute best to turn your lovely Chablis into something that belongs at a children's birthday party.

Because that's what plastic cups do to wine - they strip away everything that made you choose that particular bottle in the first place, leaving you with an expensive regret and the nagging suspicion that you should have just brought beer.

We've all been there.

There's this peculiar British notion that drinking wine outdoors automatically means lowering your standards. That somehow, because you're sitting on a blanket rather than at a dining table, the wine matters less, the glassware is irrelevant, and "any old thing will do."

But here's the thing: good wine doesn't suddenly become less good just because you're drinking it under open sky. If anything, there's something rather magical about that first proper sip when you're watching the world go by from your ideal picnic spot.

The secret isn't complicated. It just requires thinking about outdoor wine drinking as seriously as you would indoor wine drinking, but with a few practical adjustments for the realities of grass, breezes, and the occasional curious wasp.

The Outdoor Wine Dilemma

I've noticed people tend to approach picnic wine drinking in one of two ways: either they abandon all pretence and drink straight from plastic cups, or they spend so much time worrying about transporting delicate stemware that they barely enjoy the wine when they finally get to drink it.

Both approaches miss the point entirely.

The key is finding equipment that performs properly but doesn't require you to pack like you're moving house.

The Stemless Solution

Outdoors changes everything when it comes to glassware. Stems become liability rather than asset when you're dealing with uneven ground, gusty breezes, and the general chaos that comes with eating and drinking outside.

What you need are glasses that give you all the performance benefits of proper wine glasses but in a form that won't topple at the first gust of wind. The Riedel O series does exactly this - varietal-specific shapes without stems. They pack beautifully, survive being knocked over, and actually let you taste your wine properly.

For those occasions when you want the full elegance experience, the Veloce collection offers surprisingly robust stemmed options. Each glass is inscribed with its intended grape variety on the base, so no more guessing which glass to use for which wine when you're setting up on a blanket.

Wine Selection: The Art of Outdoor Compatibility

Not all wines are created equal when it comes to outdoor drinking. This is where wine snobbery has absolutely no place - it's practicality and enjoyment all the way.

White Wine Wisdom

White wines have an obvious advantage - they're supposed to be cold, and staying cold is easier than achieving perfect cellar temperature when you're surrounded by grass.

Sauvignon Blanc is practically designed for outdoor drinking. It's bright, refreshing, and actually benefits from being properly cold. The wine's natural acidity makes it great for cutting through outdoor food, which tends to be richer and more casual than indoor dining.

Chablis works brilliantly too. That mineral backbone means it stays interesting even when it warms up slightly, and the complexity gives you something to think about between bites of pork pie, parma ham, prawns, pate…. Or even food that don’t begin with P .

The Rosé Revolution

Rosé was practically invented for picnics. Good rosé hits that perfect outdoor drinking sweet spot - refreshing when cold, doesn't suffer too badly when it warms up, goes with almost everything you might pack in a picnic basket, and looks properly festive in the glass.

A decent Provence rosé is sophisticated without being fussy, which is exactly what you want when you're trying to eat a sandwich without dropping filling everywhere.

Sparkling Strategies

Champagne and outdoor drinking should be natural partners, but temperature control becomes crucial. Nothing kills the mood quite like warm fizz. Wine cooling sleeves earn their keep here - pop your bottle in one for 15-20 minutes and you'll have properly chilled Champagne without needing to plan three hours ahead.

The Red Wine Challenge

Drinking red wine outdoors requires more thought, but it's absolutely doable. The key is choosing wines that can handle temperature variation.

Beaujolais is perfect - it's actually better slightly chilled, especially the Nouveau styles. Light, fruity, uncomplicated in the best possible way.

Italian reds work well too. A nice Chianti Classico has enough structure to be interesting but enough fruit and acidity to stay pleasant even when it's warmer than ideal. In a Riedel O Riesling/Zinfandel glass (which handles Chianti beautifully), you get all that bright cherry character without the aggressive tannins that can emerge when the wine gets too warm. Plus, there's something rather civilised about drinking Chablis outdoors - it suggests you know what you're doing.

Cooling Solutions

Wine cooling sleeves look a bit silly, like little wine jackets, but they work.

For multiple bottles, a proper cool bag with decent insulation transforms outdoor drinking from "making do" to "doing properly."

Preservation Basics

If you're not finishing bottles, a simple vacuum pump system keeps wine fresh if you're spreading consumption over several hours.

Food Pairing: The Outdoor Advantage

One of the great advantages of outdoor wine drinking is that the food tends to be more relaxed, which means wine pairing becomes easier, not harder.

Picnic food is usually fairly straightforward - sandwiches, salads, cheese, fruit, maybe some charcuterie. This simplicity works in your favour because you're not trying to match complex flavours.

That Sauvignon Blanc works brilliantly with cheese and herbs. The rosé complements virtually any charcuterie you might bring.

Even a simple cheese and tomato sandwich becomes rather elegant with the right glass of wine.

Weather Considerations

British weather being what it is, outdoor wine drinking often involves an element of risk assessment.

Wind is your main enemy. It'll steal the aromatics from your wine and generally make the whole experience more stressful than relaxing. This is another argument for choosing the right glassware - something that won't blow over at the first breeze.

Sun can affect your palate too. Everything tastes different in bright sunlight, often more acidic and less complex. This is another argument for simpler, more straightforward wines that don't rely on subtle nuances.

The Social Element

There's something about sharing wine outside that feels more relaxed than formal indoor entertaining. Good glassware contributes to this - when everyone has a proper glass, it shows an effort has been made.

Whether you choose the indestructible elegance of stemless options like the O series, or prefer the sophistication of the Veloce or Veritas collections, you're choosing to experience wine as it was meant to be experienced.

The Unexpected Joy

Here's what I’ve found about taking wine seriously outdoors: it's often more enjoyable than drinking the same wine indoors. There's something about the fresh air, the change of scenery, the slight element of adventure that enhances the whole experience.

When you pour that first glass of properly chilled wine into a glass that's designed to showcase it, when you take that first sip and revel in the sun kissed joy of it - that's when outdoor wine drinking stops being a compromise and starts being about living well.

Final Thoughts

Wine drunk well is one of life's great pleasures, and there's no reason that pleasure should be diminished just because you've decided to enjoy it under the sky instead of under a ceiling.

So next time you're planning a picnic, choose your wine thoughtfully, pack proper glasses, and take the time to do it right. Sitting on a blanket with a perfect glass of wine in hand, trying not to feel too superior to your neighbours, swigging out of the bottle, because they forgot their plastic cups, is a feeling worth planning for.

I’m off to the Taste of London Food Festival in Regents Park today, and then to the Reigate Summer Festival later. So, I’m sure more than a few glasses of al fresco vino will be enjoyed.

I’ll let you know if I discover a new favourite.

Cheers!