Summer Entertaining Essentials for People Who Care About Wine

By Laura Newman

When temperatures rise, so do the risks for your wine. Heat and direct sunlight can quickly throw it off balance—breaking down tannins and, in worst-case scenarios, cooking the wine entirely.

Here’s how to store, chill, serve, and select wine for outdoor gatherings, with the tools and strategies that keep everything exactly as it should be.

The Pre-Game Strategy:
Storing Your Wine

Before the first guest even rings the doorbell, your wine needs to be in its happy place.

Serving temperature starts with storage. While your indoor wine fridge is the gold standard for year-round protection, the summer pro move is an outdoor beverage center. It keeps the festivities (and the foot traffic) outside while ensuring your bottle temperatures aren’t fluctuating every time the patio door opens.

Expert Tip: Watch out for the “sweat.” Marshall Tilden, President of Wine Education at Wine Enthusiast, warns that when warm outdoor air hits a cold cooler, condensation forms, which can add unwanted humidity to the unit. His advice? Be aware of how long the door stays open. “The less you can open the wine cooler in the summer heat, the better,” he notes.

Wine Enthusiast 32-Bottle Dual-Zone MAX Compressor Wine Cooler

The perfect indoor anchor for hosting, this freestanding cooler uses dual-zone climate control to keep both reds and whites at their ideal serving temperatures. Digital controls and vibration-free cooling protect your collection from the temperature swings of a hectic, high-heat kitchen.

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N’Finity Pro Outdoor Wine and Beverage Center

Built to withstand the elements, this unit is the ultimate backyard flex. Featuring a weatherproof stainless steel exterior and UV-protected glass to keep those harmful rays away from your vintage, it keeps your selection conveniently located right in the middle of the party.

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The Big Chill:
Maintaining Temperature

In the summer, “room temperature” is a myth. To combat the heat, you have to play offense. Our experts agree: start colder than you think you need to.

“The warmer ambient temperatures in the summer will raise the temperature of the wine much faster than in a controlled environment,” Tilden says. “It’s best to cool whites down 5 degrees more than their ideal service temperatures.” To do this quickly, he suggests an ice bucket for five minutes before serving—and don’t forget the salt. Adding salt to the ice bath drops the freezing point, creating a slushy mix that chills your bottle at warp speed.

Once the bottles are on the table (preferably a shady one), use a chiller or tub to keep them cold. For smaller gatherings, one or two single-bottle chillers often outperform an ice bucket. Larger affairs call for an ice-filled tub that holds multiple bottles, with a few bags of ice on hand to refill. Tonya Pitts, Wine Enthusiast Magazine Writer-at-Large suggests stocking your tub with a curated selection: “My rule of thumb is six wines: one sparkling, two white, one Rosé, and two reds.”

VacuVin Active Wine Cooler

This sleek stainless steel chiller uses an internal cooling element to drop a bottle’s temperature in minutes. “It keeps the individual bottles cold without the messy leaks of water all over the table,” says Pitts. “I don’t know how I survived without it.”

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Stinson Wine & Beverage Tub

For bigger bashes, this antique brass-finished tub earns its keep. With its generous capacity and handcrafted texture, it keeps a heavy rotation of bottles icy for hours. “I love the look of it, it holds multiple bottles, and I can quickly chill water and soda for the kids in it as well,” notes Tilden.

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Make of Break Decision:
The Right Drinkware

Nothing kills a party vibe like the sound of shattering glass on a pool deck.

While crystal has its rightful place, summer is the time for durable alternatives. But don’t settle for red solo cups; you still want to actually taste the wine. “Unbreakable” may have once meant cloudy plastic that dulled your wine’s profile—but our Brilliance! collection changes the game with high-quality, BPA-free copolyester that won’t tarnish the flavor, and a fine rim that mimics the feel of fine glassware.

Next comes the silhouette question: stemmed or stemless? Tilden is Team Stem. “Stemless glasses lead to wine heating up quicker with your fingers touching the glass,” he explains. However, if the surface is unstable—think grass or picnic blankets—stemless is the safer, spill-proof choice, especially if guests will be barefoot. “If it’s a pool party, the glassware should be stemless,” Pitts points out.

Brilliance! Shatterproof Fluted Outdoor Wine Glasses

With their crystal-clear clarity and tapered universal bowl, these provide the polish of a formal dinner party without the fragility. Perfect for maintaining an elegant aesthetic while entertaining on a stone patio or deck.

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Brilliance! Shatterproof Fluted Stemless Outdoor Wine Glasses

Featuring a unique light-reflecting ribbed texture and eco-friendly recycled construction, these stemless glasses come in summery sun-splashed colors that aren’t just for style—they also act as built-in glass markers so guests never grab the wrong drink.

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Extras to Add to Your Summer Entertaining Toolkit

Having tools in your arsenal that minimize effort and maximize the time you have to actually enjoy your company is key. These secret weapons are so ingenious, you’ll wonder how you ever hosted without them.

Electric Blue Corkscrew

When the humidity is sapping your energy, it’s all about keeping things effortless. This push-button opener does all the heavy lifting, extracting corks in seconds.

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Wine Enthusiast x L’Atelier du Vin Soft Machine Corkscrew

With a unique gear system that allows you to pull the cork in one fluid motion, this sleek, compact corkscrew is perfectly weighted for your palm or pocket, so it’s easy to keep on hand for seamless mid-party uncorking.

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Pulltex Bottle Stoppers

Suitable for still and sparkling wines alike, these stoppers are essential for locking in freshness. In the summer, they serve a dual purpose: preserving the chill and carbonation while creating an airtight seal that keeps uninvited bugs out of your bottle.

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Cova Ice Bucket

Crafted from genuine purple white marble with a brass scooper, this elegant bucket is ideal for storing clean ice for cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks, ensuring guests don’t have to use cubes that have been bathing under a bottle of Chardonnay.

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Wine Enthusiast Neoprene Flex Wine Cooler

If you’re the guest, don’t let your contribution cook in the car. Keep your wine crisp during the commute with this flexible neoprene carrier, featuring built-in gel packs you freeze ahead of time to essentially create a portable fridge for your bottle.

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Summer-Approved Sips:
What to Drink

When the sun is beating down, reach for “crushable” wines: refreshing options with high acidity that go down easy. You’ll want to “offer low-ABV alternatives due to the heat,” suggests Pitt, in order to avoid the dehydrating combo of high alcohol and direct sunlight.

For whites and Rosés, Tilden recommends Sauvignon Blanc (specifically Sancerre), Pinot Grigio, Albariño, Chenin Blanc, and Vinho Verde—thirst-quenching picks that he loves to pair with summer salads, ceviche, and oysters. Pitts adds cool-climate Chardonnay and Cinsault (the backbone of great Rosé) to the list.And don’t put your reds away just because it’s summer. “There are certain reds that definitely benefit from a chill-down,” says Tilden. Look for lighter-bodied options like Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Zweigelt, Chianti, and Old World Cabernet Franc. If you’re firing up the grill, try Zinfandel or Syrah; the balance of spice and acidity stands up to heavier BBQ dishes without weighing you down.

Cheers to Hassle-Free Hosting

A little planning goes a long way in the heat. Keep your bottles cool, your setup simple, and the focus where it belongs—on the wine and the people you’re sharing it with.

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