Life > April 8, 2004

By Jennifer Holland

Life Editor

As the weather begins to heat up, it’s time to turn our minds to springtime activities, so while you’re moving your flirtations and socializing outdoors, go ahead and take you drinking outdoors too. A midday picnic, complete with tasty, warm-weather wine is the perfect way to take your mind off of term papers and final exams.

Don’t be deterred by how pricey the event may seem or how much planning may need to be done in advance. A picnic, much like wine, can be as pricey and complex or cheap and simple as you want it to be.

The first thing you should conquer is the food. Basically, remember that your food should be safe and tasty cold or at room temperature, it should pack well and you should be able to eat it with your hands or a disposable fork.

If you’re domestic and you really want to avoid that 15-page research paper, you can put your back into it and spend some hours in the kitchen. My suggestion is a chicken salad or chicken wings with pasta salad and brownies for dessert.  Dorothy, a wine associate at Total Wine and More on 551 South Stratford Road suggested a Chardonnay, a California Merlot or perhaps a Pinot Noir.

If you’re more like me, cold cuts on a fresh croissant will get the job done. Pair it with a fruit salad that’s been chilling for a couple hours before you venture outside and chocolate chip cookies.  Our friend Dorothy advised having a Pinot Grigio or an Italian Red such as Sangiovese.

Some of you might be much better at handing over a debit card than lifting a pot, in which case you might want to go to your grocer of choice and pick up some fresh fruit such as grapes, apples and strawberries. You may be tempted to bring pineapples or melons, but these just aren’t a smart choice — they’re messy and only taste good when resting in their own juices.  Juices and picnics don’t mix well.

Cheddar cheese comes pre-sliced, and sour dough bread complement this well. Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand or a fruity Pinot Grigio make great wine selections.

Now that you have a menu, perhaps you should consider everything else you need to pack. If you have a commercial picnic basket, then good for you.  Pack all your picnic gear in the handy built-in compartments.  If you’re working on a budget, then you might want to consider a Styrofoam cooler that you can get for around $2 at a gas station.  It won’t look very pretty, but at least you won’t get food poisoning and your wine can be chilled.

You’ll also need something to eat off of and drink from. Chinette plates are sure to impress, but the generic brands work nearly as well. Drinking wine from Solo cups on a picnic is in a phrase not cool.  Go to Wal-Mart or the Dollar Store and get wine glasses that you can keep for around $0.50 a piece.  Getting the wine glasses from your room to your picnic location can be as easy as wrapping them in dish towels and putting them at the top of your Styrofoam cooler.

You’ve got food, wine and some classy dining-ware.  Just find a companion, a clean blanket and a prime location and you’ve got yourself a wine-inspired picnic.  Good luck and drink well.

This is the second in a three-part series in which Life Editor Jennifer Holland, excited that she’s now 21, will share her love of and experience with all things wine.