Ah, lazy days at the beach. Maybe you’ve secured your spot at Dennis, or just been through tourist hell in Vineyard Haven. Either way, the seagulls caw overhead, waves crash against the shoreline, and the brightly blazing sun warms you to the point of feeling like a rotisserie chicken slowly roasting atop a deli counter.

Parched? Of course you are. But rather than reach for a warm can of beer or a rum and Coke-filled Nalgene, we suggest that you step up your shore side drinking game with a crisp and chilly glass of wine.

At the outset, drinking wine at the beach might seem like more work than it’s worth. Bottles get broken, corkscrews get lost in the sand, and there’s a strong likelihood that you’ll be drinking your precious vino out of a flimsy plastic cup.

But consider the upside: wine is pretty sturdy stuff, screw caps are everywhere, and you’ll be able to enjoy your wine without the faintest hint of pretension. After all, it’s hard to get snobby about wine in board shorts or a bikini.

The best part? When you’ve finished imbibing, you can write a rambling message to the universe, tuck it into the bottle, and chuck the whole thing into the rolling waves. Unless you’re particularly eco-conscious, in which case we recommend recycling.

Either way, here are our four favorite wines for seaside consumption:

1. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc ($15): An incredibly refreshing white wine with strong citrus notes of pear and peach. This is the type of wine that tastes almost as delicious right out of the bottle (yes, we’ve done it) as it does in proper stemware. It’s fragrant but not overly sweet, and would taste amazing with grilled chicken or fresh-caught fish. Bonus points for the screw cap closure, making it particularly beach-worthy.

2. Crios Rose of Malbec ($12) If you love the bang for the buck you’re getting from traditional Argentinean Malbecs, pick up this surprisingly full-bodied rose. Strong flavors of strawberry and cherry make this a perfect summertime pour; despite the amount of fruit in this wine, the Crios rose still manages to avoid being overly thick or sweet. Especially appropriate if you’re lounging with your significant other: Crios rose would pair perfectly with a sensual seaside dessert of strawberries and whipped cream.

3. Francis Coppola Sofia Mini Blanc de Blancs 4-Pack ($18): Perfectly portable, sippable, and delicious: Juicy Juice boxes for the grown-up set ensure that you have no excuse not to drink wine at the beach. Each pink carton houses a little more than 6 oz. of blanc de blancs sparkling wine, a light and lively blend of Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscat.

4. Salneval Valle del Salnes Rias Baixes Albarino ($10) Long name, but worth the embarrassment of mangling the pronunciation (chances are, the people at the wine store don’t know how to say it either). This easy drinking white is delicious alone, but try it with spicy food: wash BBQ chips down with a swig, and be surprised by how well the two pair together.

Winemakers have a saying, “It takes a lot of beer to make good wine.” We at The Second Glass duly agree with this sentiment, as it’s easy to spot us quaffing suds around the Boston bar scene. We love beer, but we also love wine. We also think wine doesn’t require a nice dinner or a bottle of bubbly doesn’t need a celebration. So, in the spirit of Independence Day and for casual drinkers everywhere, we’ve chosen a number situations one would usually reach for a 6-pack and instead, we’ve swapped it with a fantastic wine substitute.

Barbecue

A large frozen mug of ice-cold beer seems like the perfect match for a rack of ribs slathered in barbeque sauce or a spicy, messy sandwich of pulled pork. While the beer might cool down the heat, a smoky and juicy Pinotage from South Africa is a great replacement. Since South Africa is, well, in Africa, their supermarkets better resemble our zoo than a place to purchase food. Needless to say, South African’s grill a lot of meat so the winemakers make this special hybrid grape, which they invented, to match their diet.

Hamburgers

Burgers in Boston range from the fast food like U Burger to gourmet, like the Schlow Burger at Radius. Regardless of your social economical standing a pint of beer seems like the perfect accompaniment to any all-beef patty. While this may be true, we urge you to mix things up and try a Malbec from Argentina instead. These wines are big, dry yet juicy wines are a natural combination whether you like take your burger plain or loaded with every vegetable in sight. Malbecs are also priced well, so instead of everyone getting a milk shake, pool your funds and get a bottle of the good stuff.

The Beach

Bringing a cooler of beer to the beach is as essential as sunscreen. This year, instead of cracking cans of cheap beer, bring along a few bottles of an inexpensive white wine. A light, crisp and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc is made for the sun and is a great accompaniment to sea-air and bikini clad ladies. France’s Loire Valley cranks out a ton of great Sauvignon Blanc for only a few bucks. Grab a few bottles and a cooler full of ice as there is no better way to make friends than sharing a red Solo cup full of cold booze.

Spicy Thai Food

A big bottle Thailand’s most famous beer, Singha, is typically a smart order with a spicy curry or pad thai dish. However, in the spirit of change, a great way to cool the fire of Southwestern Asian cooking is a solid, German Gewürztraminer (Guh-verts-tra-mee-ner). This style has some body and the high amount of sugar that actually cuts through the spiciness to help cool things off. The flowery aromas and lychee flavors pair great with this style of food.

Vinho Verde, Portugal – $9

The Vinho Verde wine region in northern Portugal cranks out an excessive amount of quality white wine that only costs a few bucks. Literally translated as “green wine” the region produces fresh, young wines that rock a zing of acidity. Most whites are a blend of several local grapes like Loureiro, Arinto, Trajadura, Avesso and Azal, but given the name Vinho Verde for the region in which they are grown. They’re typically described by winos as “simple,” because of their easy drinking nature making them hard to beat for hot summer sipping. With most Vino Verdes you’ll find clocking in at less than $10 a bottle, the price is a perfect recession indlugence.

The 2008 Fuzelo Vinho Verde is a fantastic wine to drink during lazy summer afternoons. Crack it open to find a lightly fizzy, super crisp wine boasting flavors of green apple with a pronounced acidity.

Drink like the Portuguese with grilled fish and seafood or drink by itself at the beach.

Available at:

Downtown Wine and Spirits – 225 Elm Street Somerville
Sunnyside Liquors – 7 Pond Street, Ashland
Bradley Liquors – 1252 Boylston St, Boston
Ball Square Fine Wine – 716 Broadway, Somerville