6 Ways to Plan the Perfect Wine Picnic with Bon Appétit's Wine Editor Marissa A. Ross

With Las Vegas being just a short plane ride away, the seminal Las Vegas food and wine festival Vegas Uncork'd by Bon Appétit, offers an incredible weekend of exciting culinary events for any jet setter (running April 27-30th).

The festival, now in its 11th year, has added several new elements including having food stars Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Alain Ducasse, Michael Mina, Shawn McClain, and Charlie Palmer join forces to take over the only strip-side park for one unforgettable picnic experience.

In preparation for this event, Edible Skinny sat down with Marissa A. Ross, Bon Appétit's Wine Editor and Vegas Uncork'd wine host, to talk about how to plan for the perfect picnic.

Marissa A. Ross is a self-taught wine drinker, writer and humorist based in Los Angeles. In 2015, she was named one of Wine Enthusiast's 40 Under 40 and her blog Wine. All The Time. was voted both Editor's Choice and Reader's Choice for "Best Wine Coverage" at the Saveur Blog Awards. Marissa is the author of Wine. All The Time: The Casual Guide to Confident Drinking (Released by Plume in June 2017).

Here are 6 suggestions on how to plan the perfect wine picnic according to Ross.

1. LIGHTER IS BETTER – "It's important to start with a light body wine so it will complement the food perfectly. The nature of picnic food is that it's on the lighter side so keep that in mind with your wine too! Chances are you're not having a huge steak on the grass, so there's no reason to have a heavy Cabernet wine in the glass."

2. FAVOR ACIDITY – "At a picnic there's some many food choices, so high acid wines are the smart move. These wines are versatile, especially because you don't know what everyone else is bringing. Wines with high acidity are dry and keep your mouth-watering, making them ideal for everything from tomatoes to vinaigrettes to fried burgers" Marissa recommends: MiP Provence Rosé ($16.96)

3. GO FOR LOWER ALCOHOL CONTENT – "With picnics lower alcohol content is better for everyone. A rule of thumb to remember is the higher the alcohol, the heavier the wine. So try to stick at 13% or below."

4. CHILL YOUR RED WINE – "Red wine is usually always served too warm, especially when it's at a picnic in the hot sun. So always chill wine in the ice chest, especially when it's red." One of Marissa's favorite red wines is a tart Gamay. "It's the best wine, I love it almost too much...almost." Marissa recommends: Le Sot de l'Ange "Rouge G" Gamay ($22.00)

5. CHOOSE TRANSPORTIVE WINES – "I'm in love with the white wine Melon de Bourgogne because it transports me to a different place. It tastes like drinking a tiny vacation." Melon de Bourgogne wine aka Melon is a white wine grape that is synonymous with the Muscadet appellation in the western Loire Valley. "It tastes like salty cantaloupe on the beach. It's a wine that pairs perfectly with everything from oysters to grilled cheese." The varietal can be found domestically in California and Oregon. Marissa recommends: Domaine de la Cadette La Soeur Melon ($20.99)

6. DRINK WHAT YOU LIKE - "My philosophy drink what you like. There are no rules in the end. If you want to biggest fattest Malbec in your life at your picnic, do it."

Here's to life being delicious and all of your wines tasting like salty cantaloupe on the beach.

By Kat Thomas, Editor In Chief, Edible Skinny

http://edibleskinny.com/

Kat Thomas is the CEO of the creative media company This Way Adventures. You can find more about her adventures at http://thiswayadventures.com/