Big House White: free this wine from the slammer with a picnic in the park

I know I've been recommending a lot of whites these past few months, but bear with me, the nice weather will only last for so long. And what better way to take advantage of these warm summer evenings than throwing dinner in a basket, grabbing a chilled bottle from the fridge (or the store, because really, how many of us have wine lying around the house?) and heading to the nearest park.

Last night I—and half of East Vancouver—were struck with the above mentioned inspiration, and the boy and I certainly weren't the only ones in the park with a forbidden bottle or two. But no one was acting like a hobo or a rowdy teenager and most of us had food as well, so I really don't think we were in much danger of getting busted.

However, if that's a concern for you, here are a few suggestions. First: have your picnic on your property. If your drinking in the backyard, no one can write you a ticket! Second: try packing wine that doesn't look like wine. They make all sorts of lightweight tetra packs nowadays, and they come in a number of sizes ranging from 1/4-liter juice box (or Chopine if you wanna get technical) all the way to 3-liter (Jeroboam or Double Magnum)—strictly speaking, these terms don't apply to box wine, but the words sure are fun! It shouldn't be too hard to find the right volume for your party. Third: if you want to take it out in public, try decanting into something less conspicuous. A glass juice bottle (especially one that formerly contained grape juice) would do just the trick.

I chose the Big House White last night partly because I like their Big House Red, and partly because I wanted to try something new. This is usually a good way to branch out slowly if you're just getting into wines. If you like one wine they make, it stands to reason you might like another!

As you may have guessed from the name, this is a blend of several whites, a "rebellious mix of non-traditional grape varieties destined to give the imbiber a new experience," according to their website (which is totally Triplets-of-Belleville adorable, by the way). This wine is quite crisp and a little too complex for the spicy veggie pizza I paired it with. I'd recommend having it with a summer salad, a fish dish, or something in the Asian realm, like tuna sashimi or sunomo salad, if you're picnicking with this one.

In keeping with my theme, this wine is widely available at the liquor store and comes in at a very reasonable $12.99 for the 750ml. You'll have to look a little harder for the box, although the BC Liquor Stores do carry Cardinal Zin—another fabulous Big House box wine—which is $35.99, boutique stores like Legacy Liquor Store have Whitey for $45.

So why not grab the picnic blanket and a couple of friends, stop by your favourite sushi joint, and break this bad boy out of the slammer for the night! I'm sure the warden will go easy on him this time.