There are few things more pleasant", wrote Somerset Maugham in his 1944 novel, The Razor's Edge, "than a picnic eaten in perfect comfort". Of course, Maugham, who abandoned England for the French Riviera in his later years, knew that few picnics are eaten in perfect comfort in Britain's summer climate. Generally speaking, they're more about cowering behind windbreaks clutching gritty crab-paste sandwiches.
But let's imagine the weather is in one of its better moods. What should we be drinking? Which bottles should be cooling in a shady stream?
Given that a picnic is essentially a lunchtime pursuit, it makes sense to choose lighter wines that won't knock you out for the rest of the day. Few whites are better suited to this kind of thing than classic, off-dry German rieslings, which generally weigh in at less than 10% alcohol, and which have a perky delicacy that makes them refreshing and great for light picnic fare such as salads and mildly spicy Asian nibbles.
If you've yet to be converted to the charms of riesling, low alcohol white alternatives include decent vinho verde from northern Portugal, which can have a bracing, nerve-tingling citrus quality, and cool, savoury semillon from Australia's Hunter Valley. For picnic bubbles I prefer the lightness of a decent prosecco such as La Marca Treviso Extra Dry, Italy NV (£7.99, Majestic) to more serious champagne in this context, and there is no better match with strawberries than a sweet, sherbet-effervescent moscato d'asti.
Most picnics will include some meat dishes. In really warm weather, I'd be happy to drink nothing but crisp Provençal rosés with cold roast beef salad or anything fishy. But chilled light reds from Beaujolais or the Loire also make an undeniably pleasant accompaniment to a picnic consumed in perfect comfort.
12 great picnic wines
Château Grinou, La Combe de Grinou Blanc, Bergerac, France 2009 (12% ABV, £6.91, Corney & Barrow) A blend of sémillon and sauvignon blanc in the style of neighbouring Bordeaux, this terrific-value dry white wine has ripe, tropical and refreshingly herbaceous fruit and a really clean, unusually long finish for this price range.
Tesco Finest Picpoul de Pinet, France 2010 (12.5% ABV, £7.29, Tesco)
If your hamper contains anything maritime in origin – whether a simple prawn sandwich or a pot of cockles and mussels – then this utterly refreshing white is the perfect foil. Taut and crisp like a green apple with a clean, zesty finish.
Château Thébaud, M de la Fruitière, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Loire, France 2005 (12% ABV, £9.99, selected Waitrose ) Muscadet is generally for drinking young, but this proves that the best examples age beautifully. It has the linear acidity and citrus acidity of youthful bottles, but it's gained some creamy weight and depth with time. A lovely white wine for any occasion.
Gunderloch Fritz's Riesling, Rheinhessen, Germany 2009 (11.5% ABV, £8.99, or £7.99 if you buy two bottles, Majestic) With its jaunty packaging, tangy, tongue-tingling acidity, and ample, peachy, ripe fruit, this bright modern white, with a cushion of sugar that makes it just off-dry, is the perfect introduction to German riesling.
Joh Jos Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 2009 (9.5% ABV, £16.83, Corney & Barrow) From Joh Jos Prüm, one of the Mosel Valley's – indeed, the world's – finest producers, this is German riesling at its most classically refined and ethereal. A dainty, lacy but thrillingly racy, off-dry white.
Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Dry Riesling, Clare Valley, Australia 2010 (12.5% ABV, £9.99, selected Co-op stores) For a punchier, drier, but still elegant, take on the riesling grape, this fine example from Australia's Clare Valley pits stone fruit against freshly squeezed, limey acidity and a cool mineral finish.
Moscato d'Asti Suri Sandrinet Cerutti Cassinasco, Piedmont, Italy 2010 (5% ABV, £11.75, Berry Bros & Rudd) With an alcoholic strength comparable to a can of lager, but rather more fun enjoyable, this could be the perfect picnic wine. Gorgeously pure, it mimics the simple pleasure of biting into a muscat grape: gentle and sweet, but with a lovely soft effervescence.
Tagus Creek Shiraz-Touriga Nacional Rosé, Tejo, Portugal 2010 (12.5% ABV, £5.99, Waitrose; £6.20, Asda) A well-made, crowd-pleasing modern rosé from central Portugal, this has plenty of structure and colour and some bright raspberry and strawberry fruit, but skilfully avoids the confected boiled-sweet territory of other mass-market rosés.
Mirabeau Côtes de Provence Rosé, France 2010 (12,5% ABV, £8.99, Waitrose) A traditional Provençal pink blend of grenache, cinsault and syrah, Mirabeau stands out from the crowd both for its producer – a British expat.
Mayu Carmenère-Syrah Rosé, Elqui Valley, Chile 2010 (14% ABV, £7.68, Asda) In terms of alcohol, this is stronger than the rest of this month's selections, but makes the cut for its food-matching versatility. From the northerly Elqui Valley, it's an exuberantly juicy, fruity, but fresh .
Réserve de Vignerons des Caves de Saumur, Saumur-Champigny, Loire, France 2009 (13% ABV, £9.99, The Vintner) From a really good vintage throughout France, and a particularly good one for Loire reds, this is a quintessential French summer red. Served slightly chilled, it has a hint of graphite, a nibble of tannin, and lots of perfumed summer-pudding fruit.
Domaine Ste-Lucie MIP, Classic Rosé Côtes de Provence, France 2010 (12.5% ABV, £10.95, or £9.95 as part of a case of 12 bottles, Lea & Sandeman) The name sums it up. Pale salmon pink in colour, it offers subtle redcurrant and pink grapefruit flavours and pin-sharp acidity that combine to make it particularly refreshing.
