How To Create The Perfect French Picnic
Or, perhaps I should say, ‘pique-nique’.
I don’t know about you, but I love eating and drinking outside in the summertime. The French are undoubtedly the masters of this, with their fresh baguettes, delicious charcuterie and, of course, their mouthwatering wines. Originally, a pique-nique referred to a group of people in a restaurant who brought their own wine, but then it developed to mean a dining setting where everyone brought a little something to nibble on and share.
Picnics to me are sunny days, a tartan blanket and a wicker basket brimming full of foodie treats. We might not have a lavender meadow in the South of France at hand, but we can create the perfect French picnic right where we are!
What you’ll need
A blanket
A picnic basket or large bag
A selection of finger foods (cheeses, breads, meats, nuts, pickles, crackers etc)
One or more bottles of Côtes du Rhône wine (I find this wine is one of the most versatile for a range of picnic foods)
Plastic or paper plates, glasses/cups, cutlery and napkins
The perfect location
A lavender meadow would be ideal (there are actually a few around in the UK) or a vineyard, if you want some real French vibes, but you can create the space in any kind of field, park, forest or garden. And if it’s raining? Clear your living room and have it right there in the middle of it!
The perfect food
I like a selection of cheeses (how about St Felicien with truffled honey, aged Comté and Fourme d’Ambert?) with crackers and a rustic sourdough baguette. Also, some meats, such as saucisson aux noisette and jambon Persille, with some pickles and some candied hazelnuts. Bring a salad, if you wish, and some summer berries.
ELEMENTS Luna Laudun Red, Maison Sinnae
The perfect wine
Côtes du Rhône wines from the Southern Rhône in France are ideal for picnics due to their versatile, easy-drinking nature. They are generally wines with fresh acidity and light to medium tannins, making them nice and refreshing in the sunshine. Fruity and soft, the meats and cheeses taste even better alongside the berry flavours of these wines.
Why not level-up, and choose a Côtes du Rhône Villages wine? ‘Villages’ on the label denotes a higher quality wine, as these are wines made under strict regulations, whereby only ripe fruit from low-yielding vines are used. This means that the wines are even more concentrated and complex.
My recommendations are:
ELEMENTS Luna Laudun Red, Maison Sinnae
ELEMENTS Terra Côtes du Rhône Red, Maison Sinnae
Les Barryes Laudun Côtes du Rhône Villages, Rocca Maura
The perfect atmosphere
Just the birds chirping and the sounds of playing children should be enough, but if you’ve got a speaker, some French accordion music wouldn’t go amiss or perhaps the sultry, sorrowful tones of Piaf. There is also a podcast available on the Côtes du Rhône Villages by wine experts, Joe Wadsack and Matt Walls, ideal for those who like to be entertained while they pick and sip.
And that is everything you should need for the perfect French Picnic! If there is anything I’ve missed or if you have an recommendations for any perfect picnic foods or wines, let me know in the comments below!