Looking for a great wine to take along on a picnic or other outdoor event? Well look no further than our popular “Top Ten Summer Wines” program. This is our second post about our carefully selected featured summer wines, perfect for cookouts, beach parties and backyard gatherings. These can’t-go-wrong wines also sport prices that won’t make you sweat.

Here are our picnic pleasing picks:

PRESTO ROSÉ BRUT (Italy)

• A rosy Italian sparkler
• Berry, strawberry and watermelon notes
• Ideal for brunch, dessert

Recipe pairing: Cherry Clafouti

Cheese pairing: Capricho de Cabra – a Spanish goat cheese with a gentle sweetness and creamy texture

PAZO SERANTELLOS ALBARINO (Spain)

• Expansive flavor and intense aroma in an affordable Spanish white
• Apricot and blood orange notes
• Ideal with Spanish favorites like paella

Recipe pairing: Seafood Paella with Crab and Sugar Snap Peas

Cheese pairing: Manchego – sheep’s milk brings a touch of sweetness to this traditional, piquant Spanish cheese, which becomes firmer and sharper over time

PISATO PINOT GRIGIO (Italy)

Made with Organically Grown Grapes

• Grapes from 90-year-old vines in Italy’s Veneto region
• Balanced, with lemon zest and green melon notes and a touch of minerality
• Pair the floral aroma with poultry, fish

Recipe pairing: Summer Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Cheese pairing: SarVecchio – this Wisconsin favorite, hand-selected and aged for at least 20 months, has a crumbly texture and nutty, slightly sweet flavor

MALENCHINI RED LABEL CHIANTI (Italy)

• The inaugural vintage for this rustic, Italian red
• Flavors and aromas of stewed fruit and cherry pie
• Mouth-watering with summer pastas

Recipe pairing: Fusilli Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and “Hidden” Zucchini

Cheese pairing: Parmigiano Reggiano – aged 24 months, hand-selected from single source farms and made with spring and fall milk, creating complex flavor and a nutty caramel finish

We’ll share more great wines throughout the summer on this blog. Can’t wait? Check out our Top Ten Summer Wines page for a complete list of our featured wines along with cheese and recipe pairings.