Enjoying a meal al fresco—perhaps on a little plaid picnic blanket—is one of the joys of summertime. And if you're looking for the perfect beverage to bring along, you're in the right place. Read on for some of Sip Better's perfect picnic wine pairings.
Pinwheel Sammies + Domaine d'Ansignan Grenache Blend
What's more classic than a turkey (or ham), cream cheese + pickle sammie? It's such a fun one to throw into your picnic basket. What's important here is to think about the pickle. The cream cheese gives way to some balance, however, the pickle (especially dill) can throw off a wine pairing. PRO TIP: Go with a wine that has a grip of acid to it to counterbalance the dill + acid in the pickle. The Domaine d'Ansignan Grenache Blend would be a delicious pick for this picnic pick. Chill this little French red (just a tiche) beforehand for the perfect pairing to a ham or turkey pinwheel to add just a bit of zing to your summer outing!
Potato Salad + Dopff & Irion 'Crustaces'
No matter your recipe, this summery side is classically German. You know our rule: what grows together, goes together — right? We're picking an oldie but a goodie — a wine that lives right on the border of France and Germany. While the
Dopff + Irion 'Crustaces' screams Germanic, it is born in the region of Alsace. This wine rips with notes of yellow apple + weirdly, white pepper — the perfect combo for a creamy potato salad!
PRO TIP: Other white wines from Germany, all the way through into the Riesling family, will work for this pairing as well.
Cucumber Salad + Domaine de Menard 'Cuvée Marine' OR Produttori di Manduria 'Alice' Verdeca
The summer Cucumber Salad is a family staple around Leslee's house! But the wine pairing definitely depends on whether your recipe runs creamy or vinegary. When Leslee makes her grandmother's classic tangy, vinegar style salad, she loves to eat it with
Domaine de Menard 'Cuvée Marine'. The Menard has become what our wine shop neighborhood refers to as
The North Loop Summer Water. Why? Because it's fresh + zippy with notes of melon and citrus - reminding us why we love summer so much. A pretty perfect go for a tangy impact.
Going creamy? We love our
'Alice' Verdeca paired to this style of cucumber salad. The tangerine, tropical fruit, and floral aromas of this wine make the texture supple + refreshing. Perfect for pairing to a creamy cuke salad!
PRO TIP: Things like a cucumber love a more acidic white. You can always go with Sav Blanc here for an easy pairing out.
Cold Fried Chicken + Anything Sparkling
I hope you know what Leslee's going to say about this picnic classic! Fried chicken plus bubbles makes for a party any day of the week. Head on over to our
'Pop, Sparkle, Fizz' section at the Sip Better shop page — you cannot go wrong with literally any bubble from this section paired to your picnic-y fried chicken.
Watermelon + Rosé
Doesn't everyone love triangle cut slices of watermelon in a picnic basket? Leslee raved of a recent pairing she had of a compressed watermelon salad + one of her favorite 2024 rosés, the
Broc Cellars 'Love' Rosé. I think we should probably follow suit! Soft supple watermelon notes meet bright summer strawberry. A match made in heaven for your delicious watermelon treat.
Okay, we'll throw one more at ya since the team at Sip Better likes to describe this particular wine as if you threw a watermelon straight into the blender for an aqua fresca—the
Christina Zweigelt Rosé! This wine would be a spot-on pairing for a big slice of juicy watermelon.
Happy picnicing!
