Saturday Picnic Wine and Cheese Recommendation

One of the best parts of Spring's long evenings is the chance to sit outside after a long day of work. Plan for a fun evening picnic with a nice bottle of Merlot and a chunk of Cantalet, a fantastic French cheddar-style cheese. Merlot is frequently used as a blending grape, but truly merits a bottle of its own. It is a medium body red wine, not too heavy, and delicately balances fruity flavors such as black currant and plum with mild acidity. There are Merlots cultivated from around the world, but West Coast American would go best with the stellar aged dairy product known as Cantalet.

Cantalet is a cow's milk cheese that is similar to a cheddar in its flavoring, but has a more refined creamy and milky quality to savor. From South-Central France, it has a firm, pleasant, and smooth texture.

To turn your wine and cheese picnic into a full-meal bring a salad such as Raw Kale Salad, Shredded Roast Chicken and Mushroom and Fontina Crostini. For ease of transportation, use stemless-wine glasses and bring some biodegradable paper plates.

What are your favorite picnic foods?