Wine: Picnic Provençals

“A picnic wine should, by definition, be cheap,” said David Lynch in BonAppetit.com. So while a Bandol rosé makes a great go-to picnic wine for anyone who considers $30 cheap, it’s nice to know there are far more affordable ways to fill our to-go cups with a taste of Provence.

2012 Commanderie de Peyrassol Rosé ($16). This “strawberry-scented” blend of grenache, syrah, and cinsault from Côtes de Provence costs about half as much as a Bandol.

2011 Chateau Routas ‘Coqueliquot’ ($15). This Vin de Pays du Var white, an atypical blend of viognier and chardonnay, “has some nice waxy weight, like a white from nearby Châteauneuf-du-Pape.”

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2011 Mas de Gourgonnier Red ($14). “Lots of lavender and licorice” make this savory Les Baux-de-Provence blend a “quin-tessential picnic red.” It’s even nice when chilled.