Putting together a great picnic lunch or dinner is certainly its own reward.  Savannah’s parks, squares and waterfront beckon with scenery, shade and people-watching par excellence.  What better way to relax outside and escape those household chores.

Pairing great picnic cuisine with complementary wines can make the difference between an ordinary outing and something special. 

Leave the Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc (aka Fume Blanc) and Pinot Grigio at home.  And because it’s a picnic, almost everything will be served chilled or at ambient (air) temperature.  Heavy red wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah) in most cases won’t work well in warm temperatures and with most foods.  Even a prime rib sandwich, eaten at a picnic, seems to taste better with a rose or Beaujolais when on a picnic cloth.

Those rules aside, it just takes a bit of imagination and planning before you get out that designer basket.  A picnic, in its best form, is all about romance and relaxation.

The Violets of Viognier

Known as the wine of flowers, this flavorful, scented white with hints of mineral and citrus is the perfect picnic wine for cocktails or to pair with fried foods such as shrimp or chicken.  Its acidity melts the fried crust and also pairs well with shellfish with dipping butter (hold the red cocktail sauce).  It also drinks very well on its own and as a starter or even after the meal.

Suggested: Fess Parker Santa Barbara (Calif.)
 
A Spanish Albarino

Another hit with shellfish, this Spanish white has balanced acidity, citrus, nutty flavors with a nice medium body.  It also pairs nicely with white meats such as turkey or roast pork.  This is a case where white wine and meat are better than a heavy tannic red wine.  It brings crisp acidity to seafood salads enjoyed under the shade trees, too.

Suggested: Martin Codax Albarino (Spain)
 
A Sparkling Picnic

Shellfish shines when paired with sparkling wines, both chilled from your ice chest.  Perhaps the most famous is strawberries and Champagne, but the whole world now makes reliable sparkling wines.  Just remember to enjoy your chocolates with a red or on their own.  One truly unfriendly pairing in the wine world is chocolate with sparkling wines.

Suggested: Faive Rose Brut from Italy
 

Another Italian sparkler, Moscato d’ Asti, is light and lively; it literally dances on the tongue, pairing very well with picnic meats, sausages and some hard cheeses.

 
Romantically Riesling

Germany’s noble grape is a great idea for picnic fare.  Its acidity and green apple minerality matches best with turkey, pork and luncheon meats such as salami and capicola.  This is a good example of why wine at a picnic is different than wine at your dinner table, where you would probably pair a bolder red wine — it just doesn’t work in a warm picnic setting.  Keep those reds cellared at home for your next steak dinner.

Suggested: Fess Parker White Riesling (Calif.)
 
The Joys of White but Oak-less Wines

If you just can’t live (or eat) without your California chardonnay, try going oakless.  Chardonnay fermented in stainless steel (as is preferred in Europe) has a brighter, lighter taste and body well-suited to picnic foods and summer temperatures.  Most regions now make such wines and proudly display “unoaked” on the label.  California and Australia are leading this trend.

Suggested:  Ellington (Australia) Unoaked Chardonnay

 
Blendable, Bendable Picnic Reds

When you feel you need to drink red wine with your menu, think light and consider blends, rather than straight varietals.

 
Rosey Rose

Poor rose.  It never gets its due; whether in the wine press or from the consumer.  Wine drinkers continue to perceive rose as sickly sweet, thin and boring, something for college freshmen to chug after a football victory.  But these are great wines when made properly and especially compatible with an array of picnic-style food.  Tell your wine merchant you want a DRY rose; examples abound from France, California, even South Africa.

Suggested: Benessere’s Napa Rosato, a light delight.
 
What’s your Primitivo?

If your picnic includes roast beef or other red meat, think outside the box (and the bottle).  Surprise with a red Primitivo from Italy.  Wine DNA indicates this is the origin of Zinfandel, America’s popular red wine.  It’s jammy, rich and often layered with berry fruit, plenty of character to complement your roast beef sandwich on sourdough with horseradish sauce.  A meatloaf sandwich with tomato sauce or mustard comes alive with Primitivo, which, even in the summer heat, remains very drinkable.

Suggested: Layer Cake (Italy) Primitivo (Zinfandel).

So, put a new twist on your next picnic menu.  Kick your outing up a notch with creative and tasty wine pairings that will complement your food and make a great day outside even better — just leave that oaky California chardonnay and merlot at home.