It’s early evening in the Pacific Northwest. The air is heavy with the scent of fir trees and wood smoke and a pink glow stretches across the horizon. Someone flips hot dogs over the coals. Another rummages in a cooler and emerges — not with a beer — but with a can of Pinot Noir. Welcome to wine’s newest frontier: the campsite.
“I think the Northwest rewards slowing down,” says Ryan Harms, founder and owner of Oregon-based Union Wine Company. “Think ridgeline sunsets and cedar-smoke campfires. Wine fits that rhythm because it’s as much about the pause as the pour.”
In 2013, Harms and his team arrived at Feast Portland with what seemed like a novelty: Underwood Pinot Noir, served in 12-ounce cans. “Part experiment, part prank,” he admits. “The cans solved the problem and festival-goers went absolutely nuts. That single weekend told us we’d stumbled onto something bigger, so in 2014 we launched Underwood in 375-milliliter cans and never looked back.”
This playful approach has allowed wine to carve out space in a region that once belonged almost exclusively to craft beer. Suddenly, wine wasn’t just something you drank in a tasting room. It was something you could sip after hiking Mount Hood, pass around a campfire, or chill in a glacial stream while cooking dinner on a camp stove.
The changing perception of wine has been essential to its outdoorsy resurgence. “A decade ago wine felt like a gated community, heavy on French jargon, light on welcome mats,” says Harms. “We started preaching ‘pinkies down’ early and discovered consumers were starving for brands that talk like humans. Today plenty of wineries have joined the accessibility movement and that’s great. The less intimidation we bake into wine, the more folks pull it into everyday life, backpacks and all.”
The can may be the most symbolic vessel of that transformation: familiar, rugged and easy to recycle. And in the eyes of many younger drinkers, that accessibility is exactly what makes wine feel relevant again.
Even traditional producers and chefs are embracing the outdoors-to-wine connection in ways that elevate the experience without overcomplicating it.
Tori Barr, estate chef at Bayernmoor Cellars in Washington’s Puget Sound AVA, believes wine and campfire food are a natural match, especially when it comes to Pinot Noir. “I love red wine when camping,” Barr says. “Campfire hot dogs and Bayernmoor Estate Pinot Noir are a match made in heaven. The acidity of the wine and the salty hot dog pair perfectly. The best part about bringing red wine camping is that it doesn’t take up any cooler space.”
Chris Horn, Director of Liquids for Seattle-based Heavy Restaurant Group, agrees that flavor pairings matter, but he looks to fortified wines when heading outdoors.
“Port — or a fortified wine in the spirit of Port. If you’re going to lug a bottle of wine into the woods, you gain efficiently with fortified wine,” Horn says. And when it comes to dessert, he’s adamant: “If you’re trying to enjoy a wine with s’mores, you’re not going to find happiness with a dry wine. If there’s sugar in your solid, you’ll need sugar in your liquid, or it ends up tasting tart and weird.”
In other words, save the lean red for the grilled sausages and don’t forget the bottle of Port if you’re packing marshmallows.
A field guide to pairing
If the idea of wine in the wild still feels abstract, consider these field-tested pairings. And consider this one overarching rule: “Anything cooked over fire tastes 100% better,” says Harms. “Pick the wine you love and it’ll work.”
- Hot dogs and Pinot Noir: bright and juicy, it cuts through the salty snap.
- Burgers and Zinfandel: bold and smoky, perfect for flame-grilled meat.
- Foil-wrapped fish and Sauvignon Blanc: crisp and citrusy, it lifts delicate, smoky fish.
- Chili and Syrah: peppery and rich, it stands up to the spice.
- Grilled veggies and unoaked Chardonnay: fresh and clean, it balances the char.
- S’mores and Port: Sweet matches sweet for a cozy fireside finish.
- Bacon and eggs and sparkling wine: Bubbles brighten up a hearty camp breakfast.
Cooler hacks for the trail
No wine fridge? No problem. Ryan Harms, founder and owner of Oregon-based Union Wine Company, offers a few low-tech hacks for getting that perfect chill without having to lug a cooler with you.
- Car camping: Toss cans in the cooler and skip glassware, drink straight from the can.
- Day hikes: Freeze a water bottle to double as an ice pack, or dunk cans in a cold creek while you snack.
General: Stash cans in the shade, crush empties flat for the hike out and let nature handle most of the refrigeration. Wine can go anywhere beer can — it’s not wine versus beer; it’s wine finally getting an invite to the adventure.
