PIce cream festivities with my family couldn’t be further from the Von Trapp idyll. I don’t own a picnic basket, I usually forget a blanket, and I have to navigate the health and safety hazards of the local park while my kids fight over the last bag of Pom-Bears. The introduction of wine both improves and complicates things, requiring planning, as you know only too well if you’ve ever sipped lukewarm rosé from a plastic cup in the sun.

Temperature is a key factor. In summer, wine choices naturally tend towards white, rosé or sparkling wines, which we usually drink cold from the fridge. “Too cold, actually,” says Honey Spencer, sommelier and author of “Natural Wine, No Drama”: An unpretentious guide. Take a bottle straight from the fridge, she says, and it will taste better if it’s warmed up a bit for 20 minutes. But unless you’re the type who likes picnicking and has a fancy cooler, avoid lighter whites like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, which are usually best served at 7 to 10°C, and instead try more indulgent, full-bodied whites or rosés, which can be served at up to 13°C.

With that in mind, I’d explore the Mediterranean and southern Europe. The Portuguese white wine from the Douro in our selection today is versatile and deliciously inexpensive; Sicily is another reliable source of affordable, fruity food wines that go just as well with sandwiches and tarts as they do with store-bought dips, salads and sweet pastries. Aromatic Catarratto, which accounts for over 30% of the island’s wine production, is an ideal grape here, and I’ve recommended two of them today: a round, unfiltered white and an orange wine with more structure.

Light and juicy reds that can be served slightly chilled are also winners here. Beaujolais is a relatively young wine with plenty of delicious cherry notes that pairs well with cheeses and cold cuts. Look elsewhere for grapes like Grenache, Malbec and Syrah (or blends thereof). My favourite find of the summer, however, is the rather special Côtes de Rhône in today’s selection, which has proven a crowd favourite for generations (if you have a wine sleeve to stick it in, all the better, but like the whites above, it would also taste great in a cooler bag).

A co-fermented wine made from red and white grapes might also be interesting: these wines often look like dark rosé and have a more structured mouthfeel, so pair great with food; they also usually have a relatively low alcohol content, which is ideal if you’re outside in the sun. I love the juice, fun and freshness of Esperas Palheto 2019, a blend of four native Portuguese grapes.

And what do you drink from them? Reusable stemless wine glasses are a great investment and take things to a new level over flimsy plastic or paper cups. If you don’t want to worry about corkscrews or screw tops, it might be worth considering canned wine. Vin Can Can specialises in really high-quality wine cans and offers sample boxes of six 250ml cans for around £30 each.

And if you want to make sure your wine stays cool during your picnic, Spencer has a brilliant trick for you: She freezes a bunch of grapes the night before, packs them in a cooler bag just before leaving, and puts one or two frozen grapes in each glass during the picnic. This way, the wine stays cool longer and is not diluted, as would be the case with ice.

Five picnic-friendly bottles

Tule Bianco Catarratto 2023 £10.50 The Sourcing Table, 12%. Apples, melons and a lovely round finish. I’d sip this all afternoon in the sun.

Force of Nature £9.99 Waitrose, 13%. Generous peachy with a hint of jam: pairs well with cold cuts and tinned fish.

Taste the difference Douro White 2022 £10.50 at Sainsbury’s, 12.5%. A minerally, peachy bargain that goes great with creamy things from tzatziki to quiche.

Carambouille 2023 £15.50 Emile Wines, 13.5% A fresh, spicy ruby-coloured wine that is best enjoyed slightly chilled.

Hope Palheto 2021 £22.47 Uncharted Wines 12%. Try something new with this highly drinkable, energetic blend of white and red grapes.