Picture this: the sun’s warmth on your skin, a gentle breeze whispering through your hair, and the rhythmic crash of waves against the shore. It’s the perfect recipe for vacation bliss, and what better way to enhance this feeling than with a refreshing glass of vacation wine?
Vacation wine is more than just a drink; it’s a state of mind. It’s about embracing the carefree spirit of travel, enjoying the moment, and finding joy in simple pleasures. It’s the kind of wine that signals you’re on vacation, far from the pressures of daily life, and that a spontaneous escape to the Mediterranean might not be so far-fetched after all.
While a seaside setting paints the perfect picture, vacation wine transcends location. It’s a feeling you can conjure up anywhere, anytime. As Grant Reynolds, Parcelle Founder and NYC-based sommelier, puts it, “What I’m drinking while away is much less particular than when I’m back at home.” For him, vacation wine is about simplicity and refreshment, a far cry from the complex, high-alcohol wines he enjoys back home. “I like to do stuff while on vacation rather than just get drunk, nap, and repeat, so my approach to vacation drinking is all about a long lunch, having the coordination to safely go for a swim following that lunch, and then still being in good form for a proper dinner.”
So, what makes a vacation wine so special? It’s all about enhancing the moment. “A vacation wine must be cold, crisp, high acid, low oak integration, and taste a bit like the salty ocean,” says Eric Wareheim, Co-founder of Las Jaras, enjoying his vacation in Formentera. He envisions a leisurely afternoon on the rocks, the turquoise sea stretching before him, a glass of Albarino in hand, and a plate of Jamon and cheese to accompany it. “We brought some Jamon, some hard cheese, and an Albarino from a responsible winemaker. (Organic but not funky, no bullshit.) I listen to the waves crashing against the rocks and the cool water hits my face and I kiss my glass of wine and cheers to goddess for offering up such a wonderful spot to sit ’n’ sip.”
This sense of gratitude and unrestrained ease is the heart of vacation wine. It’s not about the price tag or prestige, but about setting the right tone. “Vacation wine is like being greeted warmly by an old friend who is not going to ask you too many difficult questions about your day,” says Madeline Miller, sommelier at Misi. “It’s crispy and acid-driven, maybe not the most complex but always deeply delicious.”
Vacation wine also has a unique power to transport you—to ground you in the present while reminding you of past adventures. “Wine aromas can be a strong force in memory recall,” explains Sarah Plath, wine director at Pharmacie du Vin and Cafe Stella. “One sip of peachy, floral Sardinian Vermentino can provide a quiet reprieve from a dark winter in New York and take you back to a recent trip abroad.”
But be warned, what feels perfect on vacation doesn’t always translate back home. “If you’re drinking a local wine while abroad, it will not taste as good when you try it back at home,” cautions Reynolds. “As a sommelier, I’ve seen many hearts broken when a customer realizes what was best about the wine they had on their honeymoon was the setting and occasion rather than the raw material itself.”
The magic of vacation wine lies in the setting, the carefree atmosphere, and the joy of the moment. “Part of the joy of vacation drinking is that life should be so carefree that as long as the wine is ice cold and requires little concentration, it’s the right choice,” says Reynolds. “I think of wines produced locally to your destination that seamlessly sink into whatever the moment demands; the pure and simple synergy between a local wine and a local cuisine that can only be experienced in the place itself,” adds Ellis Srubas-Giammanco, Penny wine director.
As summer winds down and thoughts of fall begin to creep in, embrace the spirit of rebellion and extend your vacation a little longer. “There’s no debate: Take me to Pantelleria to savor every drop of my ultimate vacation wine,” says Wanda Mann, wine writer and presenter. For Guido Cattabianchi, Primal Wine founder, the ideal vacation wine would be a glass of Valpolicella Classico in his native Valpolicella, Verona. “I would have a picnic with my family in the higher hills, under a cherry tree, and the landscape would smell like cherry trees when cherries are ripe, so leaves, bark, and tree sap—and it would also smell of wildflowers.”
So, raise a glass to the art of vacation wine—it’s more than just a drink, it’s a state of mind. Embrace the simple pleasures, savor the moment, and let the spirit of vacation wine transport you to your own personal paradise.