Patio Season Is Here. These Are the Only Wines You Need.
California does patio season better than anywhere else on earth. We get it almost year round, which means the question 'what's a good wine for the patio?' is not a seasonal novelty, it’s a practical question that deserves a thoughtful answer.
The wrong answer is a heavy Cabernet that you have to wait an hour to open. The right answer is something cold, bright, and easy to pour for whoever just walked through the gate. At Marchand, we source our bottles directly from small family wineries in France and California, which means the patio wines in our catalog are the ones the winemakers themselves crack open at the end of a harvest day. That standard tends to produce genuinely enjoyable bottles. Here are three built for exactly that moment.
The Bottles
BOTTLE 1 Wilson, Summertime White 2022, Dry Creek Valley ($28)
Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County is famous for Zinfandel, but Wilson Winery makes one of the most enjoyable white blends in the appellation. The Summertime White is made to be cold and poured freely. It is a California white blend with the freshness of a Loire Valley wine and the easy generosity of a bottle that knows what it is for.
Tasting notes: Pale straw with aromas of citrus blossom, stone fruit, and a light herbal note. The palate is dry and refreshing with bright acidity and a clean, energetic finish. Serve at 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Excellent with grilled shrimp, light salads, or the cheese plate.
One of the best easy-drinking California white wines under $30 for outdoor entertaining.
BOTTLE 2 Chateau du Basty 2020, Beaujolais-Villages ($30)
Yes, this is a red on a patio wine list, and yes, it belongs here. Beaujolais made from Gamay is the definitive chillable red, but it also works straight out of the cellar. Chateau du Basty has been a family domaine since 1482, farming the granitic soils of Beaujolais in southern Burgundy, and their Beaujolais-Villages is everything this moment calls for: light, juicy, and genuinely more enjoyable at 55 degrees than it is at room temperature. The grapes are harvested by hand and the whole bunches go into the fermentation vats to preserve all the fruit.
Tasting notes: Deep ruby with a nose of ripe red fruit, blackcurrant, and a characteristic hint of pepper. The palate is clean and fresh with soft tannins and a lively, fruit-forward finish. A short time in the fridge enhances the fruitiness. Pair with BBQ, roasted meats, cheese, or red fruit desserts.
One of the best chillable reds under $35 from a small French family estate with over 500 years of history in the appellation.
Keep the Summertime White in a bucket, but for the Beaujolais-Villages, 20 minutes in ice is perfect. Pull it out and wrap it in a kitchen towel to hold the temperature without going too cold. Put out something salty: olives, marcona almonds, or a simple cheese board. Then let the evening do the rest.
WINE PRO TIP: To chill a bottle quickly, fill a wine bucket with half ice and half water, plus a handful of salt. The salt lowers the freezing point of water, which drops the temperature of the bucket fast. You can get a bottle from room temperature to serving temperature in about 15 minutes. Faster than the freezer and the bottle arrives in perfect condition.
Stock your patio for the season at marchand-wine.com