There’s a point each spring when being indoors starts to feel like a waste of a good day. We’ve reached it. So we’re packing a basket, stocking the Esky and heading to the nearest beach or scenic spot to while away a day in good company.
What to put in an Italian-style picnic basket
For inspiration on what to pack into the picnic basket, we’re looking to the Sicilian migrants in New Orleans who created arguably one of the great portable picnic foods in the muffuletta – a sandwich consisting of hollowed out bread stuffed full of sliced meats, antipasti and cheese.
A muffuletta wrapped in nonstick baking paper then aluminium foil will create a package that’s ripe for unwrapping on arrival. Or a simple salt-scattered focaccia served with salumi, pickled vegetables, and a radicchio or Caprese salad ready for dressing. Add fresh seasonal fruit and a golden crostata to sweeten the deal.
The menu is only half the plan. Your drinks deserve the same thought, and for a spread like this, you’ll need something bright and lightly sparkling that can stand up to salty meats and bold flavours.
Sanpellegrino CIAO! Flavoured Sparkling Water fits that brief, and it has just landed in Australia. It’s sparkling water with a touch of fruit juice and a pinch of Sicilian salt, with no added sugars and low in calories. A refreshing counterpoint to a big spread, it’s a drink you can enjoy even if you’re the designated driver.
The stylishly slim cans are easy to tuck into the Esky, and a few picnic-ready glasses in the basket make the most of the gentle bubbles and fruity flavours. Layer the Esky with ice packs at the base, cans in the middle and anything delicate on top, then park it in the shade on arrival so the last can is as cold as the first.
Three flavours, three moments
Blood Orange is our aperitivo-hour pick as the light turns golden. It has a vibrant citrus profile that holds its own against salumi, pickled veg and salty focaccia.
Peach suits the long stretch of the afternoon. It brings sweet, floral notes that flatter the seasonal fruit and that golden crostata.
Lime is the zingy one, bright and zesty enough to wake up the radicchio or Caprese and just as good with prawns from the fish shop on the way.
Somewhere between the first sip and the last crumb of crostata, a day out starts to feel a bit like Italy. So chill the cans, pack the glasses and andiamo.
Iconic, Italian, 100% natural. The premium range from S.Pellegrino Italian Sparkling Drinks made with the finest fruit, ripened under the Mediterranean sun.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Inside the rise of luxury whisky as a design object
The drink that defines effortless autumn entertaining
Native ad body.
