Best Camping Wines

I’m not sure why eating and drinking out-of-doors always tastes so good. Maybe it’s the fresh air, the setting or just being away from the comfort of most dining rooms that forces us to concentrate on the food and its flavours. It could be when camping and living closer to nature, we connect better with wine, which is after all, a mostly natural product.

Given just how good a glass of wine tastes in the wild, there is no need to spend a lot of money on most camping wine. In fact it’s an opportunity to explore inexpensive rustic country wines that seemingly rise above their station outside.

In terms of practicality, if you are carrying wine while hiking and or camping, weight is always an issue. That’s where boxed wine or even just the bag inside the box might be the way to go — less weight and more wine per kilo, so to speak. Tetra packs are another option — again, less weight, sturdier packaging and more wine.

Half-bottles may make sense if you want access to better wines and reduce weight. If weight isn’t a factor then it really comes down to what kind of food you will be eating.

Pairing Wines with Camping Food

Hot Dogs

Hot dogs may seem like a primitive meal, but with the right toppings and tasty buns you can enjoy a delicious beef or pork smokie, whether cooked on a stick or over a grill. If you choose to top your dog with a fruity or sweet relish and similarly sweet mustard, you can easily select any number of fresh, young rieslings to accompany it. Most come under screwcap these days so they are easy to open. They are better well-chilled, so be sure to scout out a stream or nearby lake to chill the wine while you are cooking.

Chili

Can you really go camping and not eat chilli? Ground beef or turkey can be the base before tomatoes beans, rice and your spice of choice. In this case rustic dishes call for rustic wines and I’m thinking southern Italian reds will get the job done. Primitivo, Nero d’Avola or negroamaro are all candidates for the late night campfire. If you keep the spice down you can have some fun with simple fruity pinot noir.

Beef stew

If good old-fashioned beef stew is more your style, you can go down the zinfandel road or perhaps malbec from Chile. The keys here are soft tannins and drinkability, so there is no need to break the bank looking for top labels. Young and fresh will get the job done.

Spaghetti

Camp spaghetti can be memorable and can easily feed crowd. A meat sauce means you can amp up the red wine, but simple Chianti will also suffice. If you want to impress your friends, a red blend with some grenache and or syrah dominating will keep you hanging around the campfire until the wee hours of the morning.

Mexican rice

Packing just the right ingredients can lead to a sumptuous meal even if it is served in a tin cup. Any version of Mexican rice will up the surprise factor. Hamburger, rice, corn, one of your favourite prepared taco seasonings and even some shredded cheese will make for a memorable sunset dinner.

The reason I like this dish is that you can make it as hot and spicy as you like and then serve an aromatic white wine like gewürztraminer to cool down the meal. The combination of a hearty, rich meal and a refreshing flavourful white wine will have your fellow campers smiling long into the night.

So enjoy your next sojourn into the woods and don’t hesitate to take a little wine along to liven up those meals. Most of all drink responsibly and remember to put that fire out methodically, clean up all your trash and pack it out. I’ll leave the choice of campfire songs to you.

Top Camping WInes

Caleo Primitivo Salento, Puglia, Italy $15

Castillo de Monseran Garnacha, Spain $9.50

CedarCreek Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia $19

Cono Sur Pinot Noir, Region de Valle Central, Chile $13

Conundrum, California, United States $14 (375mL)

Cycles Gladiator Zinfandel, California, United States $14.50

Henry of Pelham Sibling Rivalry White, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario $19

Mazzei Fonterutoli Chianti Classico, Chianti, Italy $18 (375mL)

Mezzomondo Negroamaro Rosso Salento, Puglia, Italy $11

Poggiotondo Rosso, Tuscany, Italy $15

Southern Most Red, Neuquén, Patagonia, Argentina $13

Santa Julia Organica Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina $14