The Best Insulated Wine Tumbler For Picnics & Other Outdoorsy Things
A picnic is one of the best romantic activities of summer. Connecting with that special someone in a secluded spot in the great outdoors can spark that passion especially when it involves a picnic of aphrodisiac foods.
And a romantic picnic often involves wine. But the problems with wine on a picnic are practical. Transporting the wine is simple, especially if you own a single-bottle wine chiller. But how are you going to serve it without the risk of breaking glasses? But I found the solution and it is absolutely the best insulated wine tumbler for picnics.
For many years I’ve recommended insulated wine tumblers as essential to romantic wine picnics. They’re great for outdoor drinking.
There are several brands that make good, insulated tumblers. They’re all pretty much the same. A few have better insulation than the others but otherwise, they do the same thing.
So when Fellow reached out to me about trying their new and totally unique wine tumblers, they could probably hear my eyes roll all the way to their factory. But curiosity got the best of me and I started scanning the promotional materials. And I realized they weren’t kidding. The Fellow wine tumblers are totally different and they are exactly what every occasion to drink outdoors needs.
What is an insulated wine tumbler?
Before I get to what makes Fellow’s insulated tumblers so special, let’s quickly cover exactly what I mean by outdoor wine tumblers. Insulated tumblers are usually made from food-grade stainless steel. These durable wine glasses are made for people who are on the move and usually come with lids. (Think sippy cups for grownups.)
These stemless glasses are also double-walled, which means they can hold your wine at the correct temperature even in the summer sun. And because they’re insulated stainless steel glasses, they keep all drinks cold, not just your Rosé. They can do double-duty as iced tea tumblers or glasses for your favorite cocktail, too – use them for all your cold drinks.
Why would you want an insulated wine tumbler for picnics?
Crystal is every wine lover’s preferred material for wine glasses. But glassware is a bad choice for at least two occasions: drinking on a sailboat or on the beach. They’re also not the safest choice for pool decks and hot tubs. And they are hard to pack for hiking and camping as well as picnics.
And if you’re planning a romantic picnic as a surprise, you don’t need the added stress of trying to transport clanking glasses without their cracking. But using stainless steel will reduce the stress and help keep the wine cold. They don’t make a charming sound when you touch glasses for a toast but they do keep your wine chilled and bug-free.
My Fellow Ruby Wine Tumbler review
No wine glass or stemless tumbler is perfect and this cup isn’t without its flaws but of every insulated wine glass I’ve tried, this is the best choice.
What’s great about the Fellow wine tumbler
Like every good stainless steel tumbler, the Fellow Ruby wine glass prevents your wine from getting warm, even on the hottest summer day. Fellow reports that their wine tumbler holds the wine at temperature for 12 hours but I have a hard time keeping wine in my glass long enough to test that claim. It does keep wine cold outdoors in full summer sun for over an hour.
The Ruby drinkware also boasts a thinner lip than many insulated wine glasses. In other words, it feels more like drinking from a crystal wine glass than your average insulated cup.
Like many stainless steel wine tumblers, Fellow’s comes with a lid. But what’s a little different about this drinking glass is that the lid has a magnetic closure which you can swipe open when you want to drink and close when you don’t. It’s spill-proof, which is a great feature for picnics. The magnetic lid also makes the tumbler bug-proof, unless you forget to close it like I did. We’ll get to that later.
One of the best features of Fellow’s wine tumbler is its extremely wide mouth.
Why would this matter?
It’s estimated that about 80% of the tasting experience when drinking wine is in the aroma. With your average stainless steel tumbler, assuming you have the lid on, you can’t really smell anything. Which means you’re barely tasting the wine.
The Ruby wine tumbler’s wide-mouth lid allows for at least some of the aromas to reach your senses. The experience is not the same as drinking from proper stemware but it’s a huge improvement over the typical insulated tumbler experience.
Lastly–and this is why I don’t think I can ever go back to your average insulated wine cup–the Fellow wine tumbler has a ceramic coating. Why is this so important? It means that the tumbler material won’t affect the flavor of the wine.
Have you ever noticed that your coffee has a different flavor when you drink it out of a stainless steel travel cup than when you drink it out of a ceramic mug? The same thing happens with wine. Only because wine can have such delicate aromas, the effect of the cup material is even more noticeable.
Given the choice, I’ll go with ceramic every time.
The drawbacks of choosing Fellow’s tumblers
Fellow’s wine cups are not perfect. They come in a limited range of colors as compared to most of their competitors. They’re currently only sold in four shades: white, black, lilac and minty green.
I also find the wide-based shape harder to hold than the typical stainless steel tumbler. And because the cups have a wide base, they won’t fit in drink holders, like the ones on many beach chairs.
Lastly, I discovered that the wide mouth I love so much can pose a danger. It turns out that deep opening actually wide enough for bugs to fly in if you aren’t careful to shut the lid between sips. I learned this the hard way when I almost swallowed a bee buzzing around just inside the lip of my tumbler. It gives a new meaning to being buzzed!
I sincerely doubt that most drinkers will have the same problem but you should “bee” aware.
Summary
Things I like:
Well-insulated to keep drinks cold
Magnetic locking lid
Thin lip for a glass-like drinking experience
Wide mouth for enjoying a wine’s aromas
Ceramic-coated interior
Things I dislike:
Limited color choice
Wide-bottom tumbler shape is awkward
Bugs can get in wine
Where to buy Fellow tumblers
The Ruby wine tumbler retails for $30. Check the Fellow website for more information and to order them directly from the manufacturer. You can find them through other retailers but the pricing appears to be pretty consistent. I did find them on Amazon with free shipping for Prime members.
Whether you pack them on your next romantic picnic, take them on a kayaking trip or just sip from them by the pool, you will not regret buying these fantastic wine tumblers.
- Easy Chicken Rice Bowl Recipe with the Tastiest Peanut Sauce - February 2, 2025
- Romantic Oven Roasted Pork Loin with Pomegranate & Quinoa - January 28, 2025
- How to Choose the Best Wine for Valentine’s Day or Any Romantic Occasion - January 16, 2025
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!