ALLENTOWN - It takes about 20 minutes or less to make a meal into a special occasion on a summer evening. Best of all, it requires no time in the kitchen. Just grab a bottle of chilled wine from the fridge or State Store, breeze through a fast food drive-through for dinner salads and find a picnic table that's in the shade.

It will be a refreshing change from nightly routine and makes the most of summer fare. It will be relaxing, too, because we've even eliminated the stress of figuring out what wine to pair with the salads.

‘Less serious' wines

Jeffery Lindenmuth, a respected national wine and spirits writer and an Allentown resident, has done the pairings for you, based on specific fast food salads and wines that are readily available in Pennsylvania State Stores.

“I actually look forward to summer-style eating because it's an excuse to drink less serious wines that don't find a place at the table during winter's heavy, multicourse meals. These wines are cool and refreshing and still will make a special meal out of takeout foods,” he says.

Lindenmuth, whose Web site http://www.pawinepicks.com offers weekly buying tips on State Store wines, says there's a wine for every salad.

“A good starting point is a high-acid white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. These types of wines accent the salad in much the same way that the acidity in lemon juice or vinaigrette does when it punches up the crisp, clean vegetable flavors. The acid in the wine acts as a flavor enhancer, too.”

Watch wine temperature

He urges, however, “It's fun to experiment. I'm just making suggestions because there are no hard and fast rules. About the only thing you need to remember is to follow temperature guidelines. White wines are not going to taste better warm.”

But what if you're really in the mood for a salad and wine picnic, and your white wine isn't chilled? Lindenmuth says, “You can get a wine's temperature to the ideal 45 to 50 degrees in about 20 to 30 minutes if you put it into the freezer. In the refrigerator, it's going to take an hour or two. In the summer, the best idea is to put a bottle of wine into the fridge the night before you're going to need it since it will come up to temperature quickly when it's in your glass.”

What's the best way to keep it chilled en route to your picnic? Pop it into a cooler, or, as Lindenmuth says, “You don't even need a full-blown cooler.” One of his favorite wine bottle totes is made of neoprene, the material used for scuba diving suits. Made by BuiltNY, it is even stocked in some State Stores. “It's insulated and protected. In one of these, the bottle of wine won't break, even if it happens to roll around in the trunk.”

But what if you're at work when you decide the evening's right for a picnic? Call ahead to your neighborhood State Store and ask them to put a bottle of wine in the refrigerator for you.

“That's not a problem at all. I tell customers to give me a couple of hours' notice and I'll have the wine ready for them when they get here,” says a State Store employee at the Shops at Cedar Point, Allentown. “It's the same way here, too,” says a spokesperson at the State Store at Crest Plaza Shopping Center, Allentown.

Chill wine at table

Spur-of-the-moment types who decide on a picnic just minutes before mealtime should grab a bucket, some ice and some salt while they're making the rest of their necessary pickups for the occasion. That way, they can chill the wine at the picnic table.

“I've even used this technique at restaurants when the wine is served too warm,” says Lindenmuth. “Everyone at the table gets to donate their glasses of ice and water to the cause. I layer salt and ice in the ice bucket and pour in some water and then twirl the wine in the bucket until it's cold enough. It's the same at a picnic. Just layer salt and ice and add a little water. “It's the same principle that works to chill the drums of homemade ice cream makers.”

There's just one more bit of advice he gives for those intent on having an al fresco dinner with wine. “Don't forget the corkscrew,” Lindenmuth warns. “There's nothing more frustrating than having a bottle of wine you can't open.”

Burger King Tendercrisp Garden Salad

Juicy, breaded, all-white tender-crisp chicken, cool vegetables, Parmesan cheese, crispy crouton and Ken's Creamy Caesar Dressing.

Wine Jeff recommends: “This classic Caesar salad is packed with potent flavors including garlic and anchovies and Parmesan, so it takes a wine with lots of acidity to refresh the palate. Stick to the Italian theme and choose something like a Zardetto Prosecco Brut available in all stores for $14.89. It offers nice citrus and melon fruit and the lively acidity and bubbles of this sparkling wine serve to cleanse the palate with scrubbing bubbles.”

Subway Club Salad

Combines roast beef, turkey breast, ham, chopped iceberg lettuce, baby spinach, red onions, tomatoes, cucumber slices, green pepper strips, black olive slices, and carrots, topped with your choice of dressing.

Wine Jeff recommends: “With several more subtle proteins and the Mediterranean flavor of black olives this salad calls for a dry rose. Red Bicyclette Rose, from the south of France, is available in all stores for $9.99 and offers lively, refreshing acidity, flavors of summer fruit like strawberry and watermelon, and finishes bone dry.”

Taco Bell Fiesta Taco Salad

Crispy tortilla bowl filled with seasoned ground beef, real cheddar cheese, beans, crisp, shredded lettuce, fresh green onions, diced ripe tomatoes, and sour cream. Chunky salsa and crunchy lime-seasoned tortilla strips are served on the side. (You can also upgrade this item with chicken or carne asada steak.)

Wine Jeff recommends: “With both the high acid flavors of salsa and a hearty protein, this salad needs a catchall wine a moderately light red that can be chilled. Look for an affordable Pinot Noir, like Three Thieves from California. It's available in all stores and comes in an untraditional 1-liter jug, perfect for a picnic, priced at $10.99. Serve slightly chilled.”

Wendy's Chicken BLT Salad

Romaine and iceberg lettuce, grape tomatoes, hickory-smoked bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, marinated chicken breast and garlic croutons with honey mustard dressing.

Wine Jeff recommends: “With a heap of crisp Romaine and crunchy cucumbers, this salad calls for the classic salad wine: Sauvignon Blanc. Many New Zealand versions, like Crossings Sauvignon Blanc, available in all stores for $14.99, show crisp vegetal flavors of peas, bell pepper and chives, which marry perfectly with raw vegetables. The bold acidity counters the sweetness of the honey mustard dressing.”