Taking the Cellar Outdoors
As Canadians who have to endure months of cold, snowy winters, the summer months are truly a time to cherish. We shed our many layers, pile in the car, and head outside –– to the mountains, the lake, or wherever the wind pulls us. The fresh air filling our lungs is wonderfully satisfying and can only be improved by one thing: great wine. Which is why we think stepping out of our houses and into the woods doesn’t mean you have to leave the wine at home. In fact, this is the perfect time to tote your favourite vintages and varietals to the great outdoors!
Wine Transportation in Mother Nature
Foldable Wine Bags
Don’t be skeptical of the compactness of foldable wine bags. These are the way to go if you’re camping and want to bring a good amount of wine with you. Super portable and easy to use, foldable wine bags are wine convenience at its finest. Easily found anywhere from Amazon to MEC, wine bags can vary in size and price, depending on your needs. These are definitely the way to go if you’re backpacking or having to carry your supplies any sort of distance. No one wants to haul full glass bottles into the woods.
Wine in a Can
That’s right. We said it. Wine in a can. It might seem blasphemous, but canned wine just might be the way of the future. Super portable, easy to clean-up and take with you once empty (can crushing contest, anyone?), and easy to chill in the river, canned wine is great. There are also a ton of quality wine options in cans now. One of our favourites is Oro Bello Blanc des Blancs.
Vacuum Containers
If vessel-size isn’t a huge concern for you, but temperature control is –– then vacuum containers are the way to transport your wine. These range in size from single portion tumblers to half-gallon jugs. By sacrificing weight and portability, your options for quality control definitely goes up. Insulated containers are well-sealed so you don’t have to worry about spillage and they keep your white wine chilled and your red wine temperate. We’re big fans of lidded insulated tumblers for their portability and temperature control. In fact we’re such big fans that we included a 10th Anniversary edition insulated tumbler with our cabin cases this year! They are truly the perfect outdoor wine companion.
Choosing Camping Wine
Generally when we take on the great outdoors, we have to plan ahead for meals. This is the perfect time to figure out if there are certain meals you’re going to have that would work well with camping. If you aren’t interested in figuring out meals and pairing beforehand or just want to enjoy some wine as the sunsets, we have some great ideas to take with you.
Camp Food Pairings
The best camping meals are made over the fire, which is one reason we love spending a few nights under the stars. Secondly, food tastes better with a little bit of ash cooked in. So if that sounds appealing, we have a few great suggestions for wines to pair with your camping dinners:
- Burgers: No matter how you dress up your burger, this wine is made for camp dinner.
Barbera Da Vine – Barbera | Piedmont, Italy; the acidity levels, richness, and hint of berries make a great companion to any fire-blazed burger. - Spicy Italian Sausage: Elevated hot dogs for adults, are ideal camping food fare.
Clos du Soleil – Pinot Blanc | Similkameen Valley, Canada; this stunning white will combat the spice with good acidity and punches of citrus. - S’mores: Are you even camping if you don’t cook up s’mores over the fire?
Tawse Spark – Riesling | Twenty Mile Bench, Canada; Dare we suggest bringing a bottle of sparkling wine with you? If you’re packing up supplies for s’mores, it’s worth making some extra room for this Canadian sparkling white.
The Key is Having Fun
No matter how you decide to spend your time outdoors, it’s important to make the most of it. Our time in the sun, amongst the trees, is short in Canada. So if you enjoy a great glass of wine to unwind after a trek through the woods or a long day on the lake, we say Cheers to that!