Keep the wine easy drinking and inexpensive for your next big cookout!
I’ll tell you the top 3 reasons why.
Let’s talk about it honestly!
I love cookouts! It means warm weather. It means a relaxed (or should be), fun, outdoor get together with family and/or friends.
Keep it simple!
These are the reasons that you don’t break the bank on your wine for these things.
Reason #1
Almost everyone drinks beer at these big cookouts. (If they are drinking alcohol at all.) It’s true. I have written other posts on what wine to drink when everyone else is drinking beer. Read one of them here if you want.
In case it isn’t obvious: I don’t like beer. I have tried to like beer. If I did, I probably wouldn’t even think about what wine to have at a cookout.
That’s a lie. There is no way I could like beer that much that I wouldn’t think of wine.
In any case, read the room! Room as in backyard, patio, park or terrace. If everyone is drinking beer from a can or bottle, now is not the time to start showing off your expensive wine. It’s absolutely not the time to discuss wine notes on whatever fine wine is around.
This is relaxed and fun time!
Reason #2
You have a crowd and it’s hot out! Or at least it is warm enough to be eating outside. If someone is drinking wine, it will usually be white or rosé. (By the way, hats off to whoever was drinking the red wine at our last cookout. I had thought it would be untouched! You are my kind of people.)
I just read an article that suggested rosé only for a summer outdoor event. And they were all incredibly expensive.
WHY? Seriously, why?!?!?!
If I am having a huge cookout, I am not providing expensive wine for 50 or more people.
You know why?
Reread, Reason #1 above
And move on to…
Reason #3
Cookouts are an eating thing. It’s a fun get-together thing!
Not sure why anyone would want to try to “match wines” to all the food that is usually at a cookout. Even if it is just hotdogs and potato chips, the focus is on the food. And the people.
Some people have pot lucks, and you have no idea what you will be serving.
Then there is our family that goes overboard on what we are making and serving. For the first year ever, I suggested printing out a menu.
The out of control menu for our cookout! Shout out to the family members who helped create it!
Brief explanation about the title. Camp Ellen is what my husband has always called our outdoor space. I used to love buying fun outdoor stuff at Toy ‘R Us (RIP.) I am not sure the origin story of the First Eleventh, but I am sure it was a good one.
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Back to the food
There are people who look at this choice and say, “That’s insane.”
My kind of people would say, “ Who cares about matching wines? Get me on the invite list for next year!”
For those of you who were at the event: “You are great, and yes, there actually was a menu this year!”
There is no way any wine could be “matched” to the insane amount of food choices we had. If there is a sommelier out there who thinks, “Challenge Accepted”, please don’t tell me.
Wine is not center stage here. The food is the thing! So are the people.
But provide wine anyway! Please.
Here is what you buy:
You buy white, red and rosé large bottles of wine. The wine is not the star here. There is no need to go expensive. I assume you have read this post from the beginning.
I would skip sparkling, because it can go flat. But if it may be a big mover at your cookout, go for it.
If you really don’t know wine, buy the bottles I show above.
In general, keep it low alcohol. Now is not the time for a high alcohol cabernet sauvignon or zinfandel. I love those kinds of wines, and even I don’t drink them at a cookout.
If you are comfortable enough about wine, make your own choices.
Keep the white and rosé on ice. It wouldn’t kill the red to be chilled too. You can even keep it together with the beer.
I usually buy a large Citra Montepulciano D’Abruzzo for cookouts.
The wine I did buy was fine though.
I could have done without the guy at the wine store who questioned, “You want medium bodied?” (It’s the wording and tone he got wrong.)
Do not ever be intimidated at the wine store. I am going to suggest some responses to this question:
Yes.
Meaning?
As opposed to what? (This was actually what I chose. Then I totally shot down his suggestion of Chianti. Chianti, and other high acid wines do better with an actual meal. )
On to the “glassware.” Here is what I have on hand because this is how I roll.
For this large group, I chose the Chinet Crystal (yes, they really are called that) glasses on the right. Shout out to Costco. I couldn’t do these parties without you.
Use whatever you have though.
Let’s have some fun!
