Summer time is the season for picnics and enjoying the outdoors. A great bottle of wine is essential (in my opinion) to the complete picnic fare. But wines can taste different in the heat of a Summer day than they do indoors with more controlled atmosphere. The right wine will cool your day and bring out the crispness of the shade. On the other hand, the wrong choice may leave you feeling heavy and lousy for the rest of your day. Pick a light or heavy wine based on your preference, but know what your preferences are in order to make the right selection.Lighter wines generally come off with fresher tasteIt's tough to generalize when it comes to wine tastes, but both white and red wines with fruity and tangy tones are likely to be your best bets when selecting warm weather wines. Their refreshing tastes help lift the day, and the lower acid and alcohol contents can leave you able to enjoy the rest of your picnic.Pick one of these light, fresh wines for your outdoor travels when you also expect to be active either before or after your meal. But know that these can still be great for just sitting and relaxing on a lazy day at the beach or in the park. You're likely to be able to continue your day with these lighter wines.That doesn't mean you can ignore matching your wine choice with your foods. Proper combinations are just as important in the sunshine as they are at the dinner table.What about the heavier wines?You're probably better off staying away from the heavier, darker, red wines for sunshine oriented activities. The heat of the sun tends to get to your head when you have the higher alcohol content wines, and you may find that you've dozed off on the blanket while everyone else is playing volleyball.But... one exception may be the barbecue with lots of meat. For those occasions, you may want to venture toward a chilled red. Still, keep your options open with regard to continuing any activities, though your sluggishness may be due more to the food than to the wine.Here's the short versionLook for lighter whites and reds with fruity flavors and a little zing. Keep them chilled while you're warming up in the sun. Don't ignore matching your wines with the foods you have in the picnic basket. And even though you may still have plenty of energy after your meal, consider laying back and taking advantage of that sweet Summer day.
