These seven wines are meant for the beach

There are wines that exist that are meant to go with food. Wines with more body and texture. Wines with lots of tannins and complex flavors. They can be rather intense to drink on their own, but with food, the taste completely changes into something new. Its one of the reasons why wine is truly so fascinating.

Then there’s the wine that doesn’t need food. The wine that’s meant to be thrown in the cooler for a backyard hang or slipped into a tote for the park or beach. You could pair with snacks, but they’re also meant to be consumed on their own. Some call these types of wines “porch pounders.” It’s a phrase I detest, so I go for “easy drinking.” A wine that doesn’t need much—it’s fruity and zippy and perfect all on its own. A no fuss wine.

In my opinion, these are the wines that you want when it’s hot. Crisp white wines that keep you cool and get the job done. Nothing too high in alcohol because drinking alcohol is actually very warming, and the mission here is to keep cool.

Sure, the glassware does matter when you drink a wine, but in this case, any cup will do. Plastic cups, stemless Yeti cups…whatever’s easier to pack in a bag and bring with you. The cups should be something easy to deal with if you’re on a beach—whether it’s a little dunk in the ocean to clean it, or something you can recycle on your way home. Bonus points if your bottle has a screw cap top. They’re easier to open and the wine stays fresh—no need to worry about cork taint after making your journey down to the water.

So what kind of wines should you grab? When I’m by the beach, I want something crispy, salty, and light. The wines I chose are either coastal wines that are meant for a beach-like environment, or other wines with cultural ties to beaches and hot summer days.

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