In the lazy days of late summer, one of life’s greatest simple pleasures is sitting by the water and enjoying a glass of wine. But sometimes it’s hard to settle on a pairing for the salty ocean breezes or fresh lake air. To help, we asked 12 wine professionals to spill which bottles (or canned wines, perfect for filling coolers!) they’re enjoying in the sand. From fizzy Lambruscos to darker rosés to thirst-quenching off-dry Rieslings, these picks are essential accompaniments for easy afternoons soaking up sunshine.
Wine Spectator: What’s the best wine to bring to the beach?
Tristan Pitre, wine director at Grand Award winner the Stonehouse, Santa Barbara, Calif.
I could not imagine there being a better wine for the beach than Vinho Verde. While the region does boast a wider range of styles than many realize, if I am heading to the beach, I am throwing a classic spritzy style in my tote bag. Casal de Ventozela produces a rosé of Espadeiro, a native Portuguese variety. It is simple, refreshing and downright fun. There is nothing serious about this wine, which is perfect for the beach!
Loïc Avril, wine director of Australia’s Lucas restaurants, including 2023 Best of Award of Excellence winners Kisume and Grill Americano in Melbourne, and Award of Excellence winner Chin Chin in Sydney
In my view, the best wine to bring to the beach is a rosé. Refreshing and easy to drink, it’s a popular choice. They come in various styles, ranging from dry to sweet and from fruity to floral. They’re also easy to serve, best chilled and poured fresh out of the glacière (or cooler, as you may say). And they suit any format of vessel you want to serve them in. The perfect food pairing is pretty much anything you’ve got on your shopping list. Rosé wines are really versatile, so they work with seafood, meat, even a beautiful vegetable dish. It really makes it easy to drink on the beach. Some personal recommendations of rosé wines that I love include: Domaine Tempier, François Cotat Sancerre Rosé, Chalmers Rosato, Prieler Blaufränkisch Rosé, Nervi Conterno Rosato and Bendito Destino Clarete.
Jacqueline Pirolo, managing partner and wine director of Award of Excellence winner Macchialina, Miami Beach, Fla.
A bucket of ’brusco! Scarpetta winery makes great cans of Lambrusco that are just perfect for the beach.
Amy Racine, beverage director for John Fraser Restaurants—including 2023 Award of Excellence winners La Marchande in New York City and Lilac in Tampa, Fla.—and chef Kwame Onwuachi’s 2023 Award of Excellence winner Tatiana in New York City
Champagne. Easy. Laherte Fréres in particular. If I’m on the beach, I’m gonna be hot and will need something refreshing. Champagne is the best way to go! It’ll keep me awake with the high acid and bubbles.
Marcello Fiorentino, owner and wine director of Grand Award winner Marcello’s La Sirena in West Palm Beach, Fla.
I think the best wine to bring to the beach is Hampton Water Rosé. When we were approached by our distributor to carry this wine, we initially said “no” because we typically do not buy into the celebrity wine craze. But Jesse Bongiovi came to the restaurant to present his wine to us. We were immediately impressed with his maturity and his "non-rockstar-son" personality. Basically, he sold us his product as a real wine, not a fake wine made by a famous person. I think it is absolutely delicious and perfect for the beach.
Jeremy Shanker, wine director of Best of Award of Excellence winner Estiatorio Ornos in San Francisco
Santorini Assyrtiko [from Greece]: Sigalas, Vassaltis or Hatzidakis if you can find it. Perfect for anyone who loves a crisp Chablis, and wants to try something that isn’t French. These citrusy wines are grown on the crater of an active volcano that is submerged almost entirely into the sea, on sandy vineyards that are battered throughout the day and night with salty sea breeze. There isn’t another wine out there that tastes more like the beach.
Heidi Turzyn, wine director at Gotham Restaurant, New York City
The best wine to bring to the beach is a light crisp white wine. A wine with a touch of sweetness would also be nice. I would opt for a German Riesling such as a feinherb [off-dry]. This Riesling would have just a touch of sweetness, nice acidity and be light enough for a hot sunny day. Another great suggestion for the beach would be a wine spritz! Ramona wine spritz is one of my favorites; they come in cans and are easy to bring to the beach. I love all their flavors: ruby grapefruit and blood orange are a couple of favorites.
Danielle McCoy, wine director at 2023 Award of Excellence winner, Bin6South, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Txakoli immediately comes to mind. It comes from a coastal region [in Spain’s Basque Country] so in a sense it already carries an aspect of the sea. Its salty minerality will remind you where you are, while providing high acidity to refresh you under the sunshine. Plus, it traditionally pairs with a variety of pintxos, so it will pair perfectly with any beach snack. Whether it’s 100 percent blanc from Hondarrabi Zuri or a rosé from Hondarrabi Beltza, it’s my go-to beach wine every time!
Summer Knoop, owner and wine director of Award of Excellence winner Cafe Mamo, Grand Rapids, Mich.
In Grand Rapids, we are only about 45 minutes from the beach [on Lake Michigan], so in the summertime we go as much as possible! My go-to wine for the beach is anything in a can, but specifically Lubanzi Chenin Blanc from South Africa and Ramona wine spritz. Portability and convenience are important on beach days, as well as refreshing tasty wines that are light and fun. Lubanzi and Ramona are both sustainable in their practices and, when I get home, I can recycle the can!
Jack Zarecky, wine director at Best of Award of Excellence winner St. Anselm, Washington, D.C.
My Golden Retriever keeps me pretty active at the beach, so my default is usually something in a can. Canned and kegged wines still carry a bit of a bad reputation, but in reality, the wine stays bright and fresh. Artomaña Txakolina is a staple for me, but Leitz also has a great Riesling, and Taylor’s White Port and Tonic is fun and unexpected on a sunny beach day. From the bottle, Loire is my favorite region, and Muscadet and Cheverny are some of my favorites. The mineral drive that you get from Loire whites is unmatched, so it’s everything I want with seafood and light snacks.
Christopher Gaither, co-owner of Ungrafted, San Francisco
The best wine to bring to the beach is a wine that is simple enough for you to enjoy at almost any time, but something that will taste great at a cold or cool temperature, assuming that we are going to a beach in warm, sunny weather. (I live in San Francisco where this rarely happens.) My wife, Rebecca, (also a Master Sommelier) is a huge fan of Champagne, as am I. It doesn't have to be anything expensive—but if it is, I'll take that Georges Laval— it just has to be delicious.
We also love bright, racy Riesling from Germany like K. Wechsler or Austrian Grüner Veltliner from Tegernseerhof, or even a lean style of premier cru Chablis like what Jean Collet makes, which helps to enhance the freshness of the crisp sea air when at the beach. Rosé is great too—we like the House of Brown rosé! We always bring snacks when visiting the beach, so the wine also has to be something that will work well with food. If we bring a red, it’s usually a wine that can be cooled down so it hits nicely when sipping in the sun, like cru Beaujolais from Thévenet, Central Otago Pinot Noir from Burn Cottage or juicy old-vine País from Santa Cruz de Coya.
Sarina Garibović, wine director and founder of sommelier service Ženska Glava, Minneapolis
The first consideration would always be to choose a glass bottle, preferably something impractical like a magnum, or larger. The feeling of bringing a bottle of wine to the beach should feel akin to eating dinner in bed, simultaneously wrong and liberating. The best wine to drink at the beach is one that can be lower in alcohol and possesses freshness as well as character, maybe a little sugar … and that wine is Riesling. Some of my favorites with residual sugar include Ludes "Hermann" and Seehof Feinherb. These wines offer a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, making them an ideal complement to the salty sea air and beachside snacks.
