Picnic Pairings

Pairing: 2008 Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel

There are nice vanilla tones in this flavorful, berry-driven red, thanks to a year of oak aging.

Pairing: 2009 Nobilo Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

A combination of grapes from Marlborough's Awatere and Wairau subregions gives this white a good balance of crisp gooseberry and citrus fruit and the grassy, herbal notes that are the hallmarks of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Pairing: 2009 Torres Vina Esmeralda Moscato/Gewürztraminer

Torres blends 85 percent Moscatel with 15 percent Gewürztraminer to highly aromatic effect. Orange blossom, passion fruit and lychee jump out of the glass, followed by a palate dominated by pink grapefruit and citrus peel. The kick of spice and bright acidity keep it balanced and immensely enjoyable.

Pairing: 2009 Chateau St. Jean Sonoma County Chardonnay

Winemaker Margo Van Staaveren's basic Chardonnay has been a go-to value white for many years now, and the '09 will only sustain the wine's reputation. Silky, with an alluring touch of sweet oak, it's classic California Chardonnay.

Pairing: 2008 Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Riesling

This off-dry (i.e., lightly sweet) bottling is a good example of how a touch of sweetness can nicely set off Riesling's lively acidity. Anyone skeptical of off-dry whites should try the wine with a spicy Asian dish like a Thai curry: It's an ideal match.

Pairing: 2007 Concha y Toro Carmín de Peumo Carmenère

Many countries, including Chile, make exceptional Cabernet. Only Chile makes great Carmenère. This wine's velvety richness, black currant fruit and green-olive-plus-herbs aroma are as good as Carmenère gets.

Pairing: 2008 Argiolas Perdera

Monica, the grape in this juicy red, came to Sardinia with either the Spanish or the Saracens—historians are still arguing the matter centuries later.

Pairing: 2008 Feudo Arancio Nero d'Avola

Sicily's warm climate gives its native grape a lovely, spicy depth.

Pairing: 2007 Prager Grüner Veltliner Achleiten Stockkultur Grüner Veltliner

Tony Bodenstein, the impressively talented winemaker at Prager, makes this concentrated and complex Grüner Veltliner from a single-acre plot of 70-year-old vines in the renowned Achleiten vineyard. It's one of those rare wines that seem to smell and taste different with each sip: lime, wildflowers, wet stone and more.

Pairing: 2010 Quintay Clava Sauvignon Blanc

From a new winery that looks like a giant brushed-steel cube (truly), this Sauvignon has sweet citrus notes with a little lemon-peel bitterness.