Even if you can’t predict the weather.

As the vaccines roll out across the country, it’s safe to predict it’s going to be another spring of limited socialising. And what we can do, we’ll be doing outside. Rather than begrudge the lack of table service, it’s time to once again embrace park life and alfresco dining with many a picnic. It has its benefits: you easily get a seat in the sun, dress code is relaxed, you can stay as long as you want, and, as Claudia Roden wrote in Picnics: And Other Outdoor Feasts, "Everything tastes better outdoors. There is something about fresh air and the liberating effect of nature which sharpens the appetite and heightens the quality and intensity of sensations." To make sure you’re getting the most out of this sensorial atmosphere, here’s how to have a seamless, accident-resistant, delicious picnic.

Kit up

If you wish to picnic often, and well, you need some well-chosen equipment. A picnic rug that ‘s comfortable and protects you from damp grass, a cooler bag and a hamper or basket loaded with the following: sunscreen, bug repellent, a good knife and cutting board, bottle opener, wet wipes, water, hand sanitizer, napkins or a tea towel and a bin bag. If you’ve ever tried to cut a block of cheddar with a key, soak up a spill with your jacket, or had to abandon all plans because you’re being eaten alive by mozzies, you’ll agree that this list is absolutely essential. Picnic pros have the same motto as Scouts: always be prepared.

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Can it

Mixing a mojito is not an activity for uneven ground. In fact, all cocktail making should be reserved for when a sink is closeby. If you fancy a more layered drink in the park, opt for pre-mixed cans. Rekorderlig Botanicals Grapefruit-Rosemary Can give infused cider a very good name, and Liberty Coast Raspberry Seltzer 3.5% 250mL is refreshing with a hint of flavour. Both are also pleasantly low-cal. Other canned offering perfect for picnicking: Balter XPA, for its fruity palette and floral aromatics, it’s a garden in a beer. And if you’re looking to be more traditional with your picnic sip, bubbles are always welcome, but try them conveniently packaged with Tread Softly Prosecco Cans. The wine has a certain sweetness that makes it ideal for drinking from a can, and each is two standard drinks, so you can carry less.

Settle in with low- or no-alcohol

A picnic is for a good time and a long time. There’s no point going to all the effort of packing, hauling and scouting the perfect location and setting up if you’re not going to stay to watch the sunset. Enjoy a drink and longevity with some standouts in the low- or no-alcohol range. McGuigan Zero Alcohol Chardonnay, deliciously structured with white peach, vanilla and toasty oak, is almost chuggable, which, you’re welcome to do and still feel fresh as the daisies you’re ideally sitting among. If spirits are more your thing, The Duchess Virgin G&T Floral Pink Bottles 275mL has all the flavour profile of a pink gin and tonic, but none of the alcohol content. They come in a pack of four, and if you so wish you can sit and enjoy them all!

Picnic setting with a glass of chardonnay next to a bottle of McGuigan Zero Chardonnay

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Centerpieces for the ‘gram

You can’t say the rise of #CottageCore has nothing to do with the pandemic. The curators among us have turned necessity into beauty and as such a picnic needs to look stylish and chic, you know, so it can be photographed. No judgement, what else are you meant to take pictures of?! The ideal paisley rug, a wicker basket worthy of an Austen-adaptation, and a bottle that adds to the whimsy. There is no prettier bottle than Gérard Bertrand Côte des Roses Rosé. The base is a glass carved rose, and it’s corked with a glass stopper. It’s also one of the more flavourful light rosés around. The only issue with Côte des Roses is that it’s so beautiful you’ll have to lug the empty bottle home with you because it’s too lovely to throw out. For a more traditional aesthetic, Nicolas Feuillatte Selection Brut Champagne is marked with a beautiful label with cursive typography that feels pulled from a romance novel. Lightly toasty with aromas of crisp apple and raspberry, it is a Champagne to get acquainted with.

If you cheese board, cheese board well

“Buy on apples, sell on cheese,” is an old wine industry saying. Eating apples while you drink brings out the faults in the wine, but with cheese any flaw becomes imperceivable. Keep this in mind for your picnic, and essentially, don’t bring apples. A simple cheese board should be executed thus: one soft cheese (perhaps camembert or brie), one firm (a cheddar or gouda), one hard (like parmesan). Serve with an option of crackers (a poppyseed or chive) and bread (a rosemary or olive sourdough). Having olives in the bread gives you flavour without the worry of olive juice spilling in your bag. If you believe cheese is not made for the outdoors (it is one of the only foods that sweats), nothing beats the simplicity of unrolling the butcher's paper to just-cooked fish and chips. A nod to the British, pioneers of the picnic.

Please check your local government website concerning consumption of alcohol in public places including public parks and gardens prior to consuming alcohol.