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As picnic season starts, it's a good time to find wines to accompany grilled foods and sandwiches. White wines match most summer food, as do roses. Red wines bring out the flavors of grilled or barbecued beef or pork. All are good year-round of course, but some match summer evenings as if they were made for each other.

Chardonnay is available in many varieties, usually with notes of apple and pear, sometimes pineapple and mango. It is smooth, rich and fresh. Two classic Chardonnays are made in California, one by Glen Ellen and one by Beringer. One is made by Funky Llama in Argentina. They are enjoyable and affordable.

One of the most refreshing kinds of summer wine is Pinot Grigio. It has citrus and melon flavors, sometimes with pear or honeysuckle. Glen Ellen and Beringer make excellent Pinot Grigios, Beringer under the Stone Cellars name.

If you are a Zin fan, delve into the information about White Zinfandel at beringer.com. Beringer is the queen of White Zinfandel makers, though there are plenty of other good ones. Berry, citrus and melon flavors add to the juice of the insides of red grapes, accompanied by a bit of spice. Beringer Sparkling White Zinfandel adds sparkle to the rest of the ingredients.

Shiraz is a red wine that is rich and full-bodied, yet goes well with all types of food. Funky Llama Shiraz is made from grapes that are descended from the Syrah of France's Rhone Valley. It has hints of blackberry, while the Glen Ellen Shiraz has raspberry and black pepper flavors.

Sauvignon Blanc is a perfect start or finish to a picnic or cookout, light and fruity enough to enjoy even after a large meal. It includes flavors of peach, grapefruit, apple and other fruits. Beringer's has guava and honeydew.

It is important to have a stopper that will make an air-tight seal of any bottle of wine which will not be finished until later. The best ones have little rubber gaskets that expand and keep wine fresh and prevent spills. They have levers on top that are quite easy to operate, and they can be found in many stores dealing in kitchen and dining items.

A side benefit of enjoying a glass of wine outdoors is that the aroma of people who are drinking wine is not attractive to mosquitoes. The little varmints absolutely love the scent of people who are drinking beer, as many of us know.

Learn more about this author, Alicia Suenaga.
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