Celebrate with a bottle of wine, a great cheese and a shady spot.

See Also:
Friday, February 8, 2013 New York Chefs' Romantic Recipes and Italian Reds for Valentine's Day
Friday, January 25, 2013 The Crab Bowl: Baltimore and San Francisco Square Off in a Battle of Recipes
Thursday, January 24, 2013 Super Bowl XLVII Extra Fan Fare: Baltimore vs. San Francisco
Thursday, January 24, 2013 Faidley Seafood's Crab Cakes
Thursday, January 24, 2013 Rose Pistola's Cioppino
More from Seasonal

Taking It to the Beach for July 4th

Declare your independence from the kitchen with these great wines, picnic suggestions and new products

Laurie Woolever
Posted: June 29, 2007

On July 4 we celebrate the founding of the United States of America. Whether you plan to be at the beach, in a park or on your back porch, you'll want to make sure to have plenty of crisp, refreshing wines.

It's summertime, which means you'll have to think about keeping your wines nice and cool throughout the day. The market is awash with attractive, durable wine totes and coolers. We like the insulated, zippered wine totes from Built (www.builtny.com), and the leatherette Avanti Wine Tote from Rhino Wine Gear (www.rhinowinegear.com). The latter includes a corkscrew, bottle stopper, two plastic glasses, two cloth napkins, a bread knife and a small wooden cutting board.

Of course, there's also the question of food. For some reason, food seems to taste better when you're eating it from a picnic basket, whether it's a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich or something a little more elaborate. If you want to keep it simple, pack your basket with firm, low-moisture cheeses, salted, cured meats, fresh fruits, sliced Italian ciabatta rolls, a small jar (or better yet, squeeze bottle) of spicy mustard and a ripe tomato. (Don't forget to pack a small, serrated knife, too.) If you'd prefer something a little more elaborate, try some of these recipes from the Wine Spectator archive, all of which will travel well, taste good at room temperature, and hold up throughout the day:

• Leek and Goat Cheese Tart
• Chicken, Avocado and Fennel Salad
• American Country Ham (sliced for sandwiches)
• Roast Chicken (served cold)
• Marinated Sweet Red Peppers (use on sandwiches)
• Beer Spice Cake

You can find plenty more great recipes and wine matches by using our Recipe Search and food and wine matching tool. If you'll be traveling this holiday week, be sure to check out our recently redesigned hotel database. And if you'll be celebrating in a restaurant, don't forget to consult our guide to wine-friendly restaurants across the country and around the world.

Below is a list of recently rated American Sauvignon Blancs, as well as Pinot Grigios and Pinot Gris from various regions, that will go well with picnic fare.