Everything you need to bring a little luxury into your picnic

WORDS Jasmine Pirovic PUBLISHED Mon, 20 Sep 2021 - 6:30 pm

We'd be lying if we said we weren't weak at the knees when Gladys and Dan announced that the fully vaxxed folk of NSW and VIC could throw down their picnic blankets and join the land of the living. Having been slumped indoors for a previously unfathomable period of time, it's time to stretch our limbs, find a nice patch of grass and relish in the new-found luxury of the picnic.

So in the spirit of all the picnics to come, we've rounded up 10 things to make your picnic the most enjoyable time you can have. Pack the Ortiz anchovies, slather on your sunscreen, pop on a hat, don't forget a good book and for everything else read on below.

Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 2013 Vintage

Considering all these picnics we're about to embark on involve loved ones we haven't seen in a hot minute - why not celebrate with a bottle of champagne? Specifically, Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque. Harvested in 2013, this particular vintage is redolent of green apples, white fruit and the sweet perfume of spring blooms. How timely! Nothing says picnics (or freedom for that matter) like the gentle pop then froth of a bottle of bubbles.

Opinel No. 10 Corkscrew

Once the champagne has run dry and you're cracking open a bottle of your favourite grape juice, you'll be relieved to know that you've packed your Opinel corkscrew. Nobody likes to be holding a wine bottle with a cork in a desert of cork screws. It sucks. Also, Opinel's little contraption can act as cheese knife too! Who says you can't have it all?

Handmade Bag in Holga Seagrass

Picnic baskets are notoriously bulky, unsightly things. So what do you carry when you have a lot to, well, carry? Anything can be a picnic basket really, a tote bag, a woolies bag, and if you're bringing booze you should definitely consider an esky (you can never go wrong with a Yeti Cooler). But for the sartorially minded, why not channel Jane Birkin and opt for a wicker-style bag. Coming in a wide range of sizes and styles, while still less impractical than a traditional picnic basket, this one by Kiosk48th is fair trade and hand weaved in Bangladesh from Holga seagrass.

In Bed Linen Napkin Set

Picnics, I'm sure, are synonymous with mess - at least they should be. While it's easy to just bring a roll of paper towel, wet wipes and all kinds of disposable cleaning aids to your next soiree in a park; a set of fabric napkins will do the job just as well, with less environmental impact and look far chicer too.

Dinosaur Designs Resin Stone Cheese Knife

Hand made in Australia and undeniably good-looking, Dinosaur Designs have married our love for food with our equally as strong joy for all things aesthetically pleasing. Doubling as both a butter knife and cheese knife, this resin tool means you don't have to ferry around a sharp blade wrapped in multiple tea towels.

Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen

By now you've probably noticed every woman and her dog traipsing around with one of Bang & Olufsen's handy lil' speakers. Perfect for setting the mood outdoors - when you don't want to bother with heavy, fussy equipment. Loved for its long battery life, you can play music for up to 18 hours, and its ability to withstand water and dust; a relief for inevitable wine spills.

ReFlex Card Game

Some of us are emerging from lockdown without having communicated, at least verbally, with people for some time. In fact, sitting with four other people may just be a shock to the ol' system. Flex Mami's ReFlex card games are here to ease you into the realm of in-person conversations and dialogue again.

Seljak Pinot Blanket

While many of our picnic daydreams often centre a blanket of fluffy, velvety grass, not all park grounds are made equal and as much as we love it, grass gets itchy man! Enter the humble picnic blanket. Ideally we like ours easy-to-wash and when we can't have that we want wool. Natural, breathable, thick and antibacterial, this is music to the ears of the regular picnic go-er. Simply dust her off, air her out and she's good to go again. Every time Seljak sell a blanket they donate $5 to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, also this colour does wonders at hiding wine and food stains.

Helinox Chair Zero

Not all of us enjoy sitting cross-legged or splayed across the hard ground. Some of us have bad knees, hips, all that fun stuff. Thankfully, Helinox have delivered an easy-to-assemble chair for sitting outdoors. As far as outdoor camping-type chairs go, this one is extremely comfy. Also it doesn't weigh a tonne. In fact, it only weighs 510g - a relief for those of us daunted at the prospect of having to cart around a heap of gear.

Taylors Promised Land Chardonnay

Invited to a picnic but unsure what to bring booze-wise? Settle on Taylors. Affordable and a crowd favourite with its juicy, fleshy smack of summer fruit like pineapple, peach and zingy citrus.