Russ, the one and only Winehiker, is this month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday host. For the 50th edition, he asked that we talk about a wine we’d like to take with us to enjoy in nature, whether in the context of a picnic, hike or otherwise. Given that it’s October, we would have thought that we’d be leaning red by now. You know, like a meaty Cotes du Rhone or a Zin. However, fall weather seems to be staying away from Los Angeles, and our minds remain in summer mode.

First, we should mention that we’re more picnickers than hikers, so we’ve chosen a decidedly picnicky wine in the 2007 Elio Perrone Bigaro (about $18). This is an intriguing Moscato/Brachetto blend that we discovered recently at Osteria Mozza in LA. It’s a beautiful pale pink color, with a small degree of opacity. It’s chock full of Moscato apple and pear, and Brachetto strawberry — a veritable picnic in a bottle on its own — and has incredibly fine bubbles that create a lusciously smooth texture.

Chill this down and pair it with a couple of cheeses (a Parmesan-Reggiano and a mild creamy blue, perhaps), a good friend, and a chunk of sandy Beach (we’re thinking Malibu) and you have the makings of a great day.