If you’re near a large body of water, summer means the return of boat season. And if you’re like us, that means your shopping basket is starting to shift to include what we call “boat wines.”
Boat wines can be two things:
- Canned wines, easy to transport and open, and safe to drink without fear of shattered glassware or bottles.
- High-toned whites and rosés. Think Sancerre, Chablis, Muscadet, Albariño, and Provençal roés and whites.
We put our boat wine formula to the test recently when we joined Whistling Man Schooner Company for an excursion onto Lake Champlain. Whistling Man operates two gorgeous wooden schooners, the Friend Ship and Wild Rose.
We loaded up a cooler with a few of our favorite canned wines from Nomadica, Companion, and Ramonas, as well as a bottle of the Domaine du Bagnol Cassis Blanc, and a few cans of Ghia for a refreshing non-alcoholic option. Then we stopped by the Dedalus cheese counter for a cheeseboard for two, some jambon beurre sandwiches, and a few bags of chips.
When we arrived at the dock behind Echo, we were greeted by Cory, the owner and one of the many captains of the Whistling Man crew. We loaded into the Friend Ship, the larger of the two schooners, and motored out of the marina before setting sail.
The sun was shining on the water, the breeze was warm — all in all, a gorgeous day to be out on the lake. As we navigated north, Cory gave us the inside scoop on the unique history of the vessels and pointed out some historical landmarks along our route. Whistling Man provided metal tumblers for our Cassis — a secure option that kept the wine nice and chilled on a sunny day.
We loved the Companion rosé with the buttery ham sandwiches, and the Cassis with the cheeseboard — but really they all worked incredibly well together. You can’t really go wrong with juicy, high-toned white and rosé when you’re snacking on cheese and sandwiches on the open water.
If you’re ever in Burlington, give Whistling Man a try. It’s a great option for private parties, but they also offer public sails for amazing prices (under $50 a person!). An afternoon sail on your lunch break? That will be a yes for us. Just make sure to stop by Dedalus first and stock up on your favorite boat wines.
