As the weather slowly starts to turn warmer, most of us are wanting to spend our time outdoors and away from our apartments. That being said, there are so many fun activities to do in and around Hong Kong, some of which, may require some booze recommendations to add an even bigger element of fun to spice up your weekends outside. Note that alcohol should be drunk in moderation, so along with these recommendations, we also include a guide on how many bottles one needs for each occasion.
Here are our top recommended activities paired with the perfect wine styles to suit the occasion and atmosphere.
Having trouble finding the perfect wine? Photo Credit: Stocksy United
Sunday Brunch
Sunday brunch has a long-standing reputation for being one of the easiest ways to spend a great day out with family and/or friends enjoying a lovely meal and a glass or 3 of some delicious drops in a relaxed atmosphere over some pleasant conversation. It is the perfect way to unwind after a big weekend and get you ready to tackle the week ahead.
Seeing as it is a Sunday, one would assume that the consumption of wine would be limited, though opinions may differ amongst our readers. For a relatively cheerful Sunday afternoon (boozy brunch) we would suggest the following, taking into account that only wine will be drunk at this brunch and nothing else.
- 4 people – 4 bottles
- 8 people – 10 bottles
- 12 people – 15 bottles
Now, the important part is what wine to recommend with Sunday Brunch. Since this topic is so diverse, with so many different cuisines to choose from, we break it down with a simple, yet reliable, selection to suit all your Sunday Brunch needs.
- 4 people – 1 bottle of Bubbles, 2 bottles of White, 1 bottle of Red
- 8 people – 3 bottles of Bubbles, 5 bottles of White, 2 bottles of Red
- 12 people – 4 bottles of Bubbles, 5 bottles of White, 3 bottles of Rosé, 3 bottles of Red
You may be asking why did I only include rosé in the 12 people suggestion? That is because the more people there are, the more you are bound to have diverse preferences, and to accommodate everyone, we need to spread the range a bit further.
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Brunch and Wine, Simply Devine - Photo Credit: Hong Kong Tatler
Saturday Family/Friend Picnic
When you think of a picnic, what comes to mind? Fun, adventure, fresh air, yummy food, family and friends, enjoying nature and of course people watching! One of the nice benefits of a picnic is that we tend to slow down the speed at which we eat, resulting in less consumption of alcohol and more time to appreciate the surroundings. Whether you are an avid picnicker, going 2-3 times a month, or you just enjoy it on holiday weekends, picnics come in all shapes and sizes and they make us feel good, too!
Now, as mentioned, because we are eating slower and require less alcohol, it is not necessary to have more wine than the amount of the contents in your basket. A picnic is meant to be relaxing and the wine is purely just to accompany the light food so we don’t suggest bringing along too many bottles.
- 4 people – 2 bottles
- 8 people – 4 bottles
- 12 people – 6 bottles
Picnics are also a time to drink young, fresh white wines, zesty bubbles and juicy Rosé. We don’t suggest red for a picnic, as on a hot summer’s day, it will just go straight to your head!
Based on the above, sticking to one style of wine makes sense as it’s easy and requires little effort from your brain to figure out what best pairs well with the blue cheese and what goes well with the Parma ham and olives, and so on. But, should you want to heighten your experience, then we do suggest mixing it up a little bit and trying different wines with the different foods in your picnic basket.
- 4 people – 1 bottle of Bubbly, 1 bottle of White
- 8 people – 1 bottles of Bubbly, 2 bottles of White, 1 bottle of Rosé
- 12 people – 2 bottles of Bubbly, 2 bottles of White, 2 bottles of Rosé
The best way to relax and a beautiful day - Photo Credit: seriouseats.com
Beach BBQ
There’s nothing better than heading outdoors armed with your trusty barbecue tongs, a cooler packed with delicious meat (oh and for those who like some greens…a salad) and head down to the beach for a good ol’ BBQ session. Beach BBQs are fun not only because you can catch a tan and a swim, you also get to experience how beautiful Hong Kong really is, all while doing it with your favourite pastime like cooking meat over coals.
If you can’t make the beach or just don't like the sand and want to enjoy a BBQ at home, these recommendations still apply!
Now, with any BBQ there will be copious amounts of beer to quench the thirst along with other alcoholic beverages, but wine is also very, very good for wetting the whistle. BBQs generally happen when a larger group of friends gets together for some fun in the sun. So, keeping in mind all the beer and other drinks that will most likely occupy some space in the cooler, we suggest the following amounts of wine as a buying guide.
- 8 people – 6 bottles
- 12 people – 10 bottles
- 16 people – 14 bottles
It is tough to recommend what particular styles of wine match well with a BBQ. Red is a given based on all the red meat you will be BBQing, but white wines are also needed for the white meats and salads. Rosé is a perfect thirst quencher while soaking up the sun and waiting for the meat to be cooked, so here is our guide to what we think is a fair spread of wine for a beach or backyard BBQ.
- 8 people – 2 bottles of White, 1 bottle of Rosé, 3 bottles of Red
- 12 people – 4 bottles of White, 2 bottles of Rosé, 4 bottles of Red
- 16 people – 5 bottles of White, 4 bottles of Rosé, 5 bottles of Red
If only all beach BBQs looked this good - Photo Credit: Women's Talk
Junk Trips
Junk trips are the ultimate warm weather experience in Hong Kong, and nothing screams at you more than a boat trip to one of the outlying islands, with good people, music pumping, booze and a fun day out on and on the ocean!
Junk boats are usually a very boozy occasion and require a quite a bit of alcohol to get a good buzz going and to enjoy a day out on the sea. Wine makes for a pretty good partner as it goes a lot further based on volume and can definitely bring the boogie out in you a lot quicker.
Recommended dosage for Junks are as follows:
- 20 people – 15 bottles
- 25 people – 20 bottles
- 30 people – 25 bottles
Junks are a fun affair and require light, easygoing wines that require 0% effort, but provide 100% satisfaction. A good mix of all things nice with zero the spice is in order here, so we would avoid selecting too many reds for the occasion. However, as mentioned earlier, you will need to cater for everyone’s preference so a few reds can’t do any harm.
- 20 people – 5 bottles of Bubbly, 5 bottles of White, 3 bottles of Rosé, 2 bottles of Red
- 25 people - 6 bottles of Bubbly, 6 bottles of White, 5 bottles of Rosé, 3 bottles of Red
- 30 People – 8 bottles of Bubbly, 8 bottles of White, 5 bottles of Rosé, 4 bottles of Red
The perfect time to unWined on a weekend - Photo Credit: That Junk
In conclusion, our buying guide is meant purely to give you a rough idea as to what we see fit for the occasions mentioned. Some might think it’s far too little, some might think it is far too much, we think it is just the right touch for the smutch!
Cheers!