Best Wine for Picnics

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It’s that time of year when the days are warm and we long to be outside. A romantic picnic is always one of our best options for getting outside with someone special and making a few great memories in the process. But there is one essential ingredient for romance, whether you’re on a picnic in an unimaginably idyllic setting or improvising a picnic in the backyard. And that’s a picnic wine.

But how do you choose the best wine for picnics? Over my years of studying both wine and aphrodisiacs, I’ve learned that there are a lot of factors most of us don’t consider at first when picking a wine for a picnic–especially a romantic picnic. But these elements can make a huge difference in how much you enjoy the wine and the experience.

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What makes the best picnic wine?

My criteria for a wine for a romantic picnic – or any picnic – are pretty basic:

- The wine should be affordable
- It should be something that can travel well
- It should be refreshing
- If you’re driving to your picnic spot, it should be low alcohol

TO TRY: My favorite picnic sandwiches

In other words, my recommendation for a summer picnic wine is generally something white, or possibly a pretty and romantic pink, if you’re planning a picnic date.

Of course, the wine doesn’t necessarily have to be white. Let me clarify my main criteria a little further.

Why inexpensive wine makes the best wine for picnics

You don’t have to buy an inexpensive wine for a picnic but I recommend it for a few reasons. First of all, you probably won’t take your best stemware along, unless you’re picnicking at home. And some wines really do deserve great stemware. (Check out my favorite wine tumblers for picnics.)

Second of all, great wine deserves to be appreciated. And in the case of a picnic, the wine is generally secondary to the setting, at least, if you’ve chosen your picnic setting well. So save the great wines for occasions with fewer distractions.

And keep in mind that not all wines travel well. Older wines can be fragile and shouldn’t be jostled. So don’t bring an older or collectible wine that can’t hold up to some jostling, especially if you’re planning a hike to your picnic spot.

And if you’re bringing sparkling wine, be careful that the bottle doesn’t get shaken. Unless you’re into Champagne showers, in which case have fun but bring a towel.

What are good white wines for a picnic?

I prefer white wines for picnics but not just any white wine.

The wine you choose should be thirst-quenching, particularly if you’re hiking to your picnic destination. But this also holds true for the backyard, if you’re picnicking on a hot day. A refreshing, high-acid white wine like a typical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc can taste incredible on a warm, summer day.

You may also want to look to lesser-known white wine varieties that tend to have good acidity and low alcohol like Vinho Verde from Portugal and Grüner Veltliner from Austria. (You may also find good-value Grüner from other parts of the world including the U.S., Hungary and even Italy.)

What is a good red wine for a picnic?

If you want a picnic red wine, choose something with bright red fruit flavors that can be served chilled and is easy to drink. The French would call them vins de soif.

You might be wondering if it’s really ok to chill red wine. You absolutely can! When I worked at a winery, we made sure that all the red wines were served at cellar temperature, which is between about 55 and 65 degrees.

You can serve your wines even colder in summer if you enjoy refreshingly cold wine. For something refreshing that may benefit from chilling, consider red wines from Beaujolais, Cabernet Franc from France’s Loire region, Grenache, Dolcetto or even lighter-bodied Pinot Noir.

Or you could try one of my favorite summer reds, Anarchist Wine Company’s Piquette. The winery calls it a rosé but it is more of a dry, light-bodied red to me. Faintly effervescent and low in alcohol at about 7% ABV, it offers sour cherry and red currant flavor with a faint note of fresh-cut herbs. It is food-friendly and fun.

Why you should choose low-alcohol wines for outdoor drinking

As someone in the business of health, I highly recommend sticking to lower-alcohol wines when you’re picnicking. The obvious reason is to reduce incidents of drunk driving. However, there are more good reasons to consume less alcohol on a picnic even if you don’t have to drive.

Alcohol may increase your skin’s sensitivity to sunlight. One German study in 2013 concluded that after 3 drinks, male test subjects were at significantly greater risk to sun damage.

Drinking wine in the sun also puts you at greater risk for dehydration and even heat stroke. So drinking lower-alcohol wines in moderation is the safe way to go to help make sure your picnic is memorable for pleasure, not pain.

What are the most romantic picnic wines?

My criteria for wines for a picnic work for all picnics. Of course, my specialty is romance and I have some extra tips for planning a romantic picnic. It’s all about finding a wine with aphrodisiac properties.

Wine in general is considered an aphrodisiac. So you’re on the right track if you’re planning a romantic picnic with wine.

But some wines also offer elements in their aroma that are believed to replicate human pheromones. These are receptors of attraction that go off in our subconscious. Unsure what that means? Here’s my guide to finding wines with the sexiest scents.

Top recommendations for your next wine picnic

To help you figure out your next wine picnic, I’ve made a sample list of wines that fit all of my criteria for a great picnic wine, (and also have the potential to spark some romance).

I chose these wines because they are all inexpensive and pretty widely distributed, so you should be able to find them where you live. They’re also refreshing and should pair nicely with whatever foods you choose to pack in your picnic basket.

Les Vignerons de St. Hilaire D’Ozilhan Prestige Blanc, Côtes du Rhône
This fun wine from the south of France is a sound investment for around $12. It’s a great break from the typical whites we reach for in summer, like Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. A blend of four grapes, it’s a fairly complex wine. It’s got bright, floral aromas and luscious flavors of honeydew and Crenshaw melon.

Chateau St. Michelle Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley Washington
Another white that’s a bit of a departure from the norm, this one comes from a little closer to home. It’s got great body and is in fact, one of the best buy wines I’ve tried this summer. It has sweet and juicy melon and pear flavors balanced by great lemon acidity.

NV Gruet Blanc de Noirs Sparkling Wine, New Mexico
This is my new, summer go-to bubbly in the $15 price range. I’ve been a fan of this New Mexican sparkling wine house for years but I hadn’t had the Blanc de Noirs in some time. I sure was glad to bump into it when I ducked into a local wine shop. It has great balance, compelling berry flavors and nice toast. But it’s the texture that has me hooked. Creamy with a finessed fizz, it is incredibly elegant for the price.

Matua Rosé, Marlborough New Zealand
There are so many dry rosés you could choose for romantic picnic sipping. But this one is a solid choice in the $10 range. And the fact that it comes from New Zealand gives it an air of the exotic. If you want a wine that tastes like you’re drinking the best of summer fruit, you’re bound to enjoy this rosé.

Louis Jadot Beaujolais Village
A very nice red wine in the $15 range, it’s an easy-drinking pour made from Gamay grapes. Because it is made by carbonic maceration, (a quick fermentation method) it has big, juicy, sweet aromas. Flavors are of ripe cherries with a hint of exotic spice. A medium-bodied wine, it’s a good picnic wine to serve with food pairings like chicken or pork or a great charcuterie plate. I recommend chilling the wine slightly for ultimate picnic refreshment.

More tips for a memorable picnic with wine

There’s more to a great picnic than just the wine (although I consider wine to be one of the most essential ingredients). If you need some inspiration for the other elements of a successful picnic, here are some articles that may help you create a fantastic picnic experience:

5 Great Recipes for Picnic Dates

How to Build a Charcuterie Plate for Two

Collapsible Picnic Wine Glasses

The Best Ice-Free Wine Chiller

Why Wine is the Best Drink for Romance

This article was written in 2020 and most recently updated in July 2024.

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Amy Reiley

Eat Something Sexy's Creator & Editor-in-Chief Amy Reiley is the award-winning author of five aphrodisiac cookbooks. She has her Master of Arts in Gastronomy, awarded by Le Cordon Bleu and The University of Adelaide. She is also a Certified Nutrition Coach awarded by the International Sports Sciences Association and she is a California Certified Massage Therapist.

Amy is considered a leading authority on aphrodisiacs. Her work in aphrodisiacs is quoted in publications including National Geographic, The New York Times, Epicurious, Wine Enthusiast, Health and Playboy magazines. She speaks internationally on aphrodisiac foods and has brought her knowledge of aphrodisiac history and science to national television shows including The Today Show and CBS Early Show. She is a frequent guest on relationship and lifestyle radio and podcast shows and has been interviewed by BBC and NPR radio, Cosmopolitan radio and popular podcasts including My Dad Wrote a Porno.

Amy is also a freelance food, wine and health researcher and writer as well as a wine competition judge. Her work has appeared in publications ranging from Variety to The Daily Meal. She is an MSN content provider. And she is also a former wine editor for Gayot.com and wine & spirits editor of Las Vegas magazine.

Fun fact: Amy was the creator of the first ever comprehensive food and wine apps, Amy Reiley's Pocket Gourmet and Amy Reiley's Pocket Vineyard for Palm.