Eating outside has never been more sophisticated. Cook a lunchtime picnic, but at a table.

Hosting lunch under the big blue sky is pretty much setting the ultimate stage, and when we do it we wonder why we don’t do it more often. Here’s our pick on what to cook when dining al fresco.

The Starter

A tray of roasted seafood, fragrant with lemon and herbs. It belongs outdoors with a cool summer breeze.

Drinks writer Mike Bennie says, “Seafood and barbecued steaks consumed in the great outdoors with a zingy white and a medium bodied red with a light chill, what could be better?”

Drink match: Zingy SSB (try Pierro LTC Semillon Sauvignon Blanc)

The Main

A barbecue is the ultimate outdoor feast, and there’s nothing better than a charred steak drizzled with herby Chimichurri.

Drink match: Medium bodied Margaret River red (try McHenry Hohnen Amigos Red Shiraz Grenache Mataro)

The Dessert

A summer vanilla-cream-filled roulade is basically a sophisticated pavlova, rolled in coconut and topped with tropical fruit.

Drink match: Really light dessert wine (try Tempus Two Copper Moscato)