I'm calling it – 'wine tables' are the most brilliant new thing to elevate your backyard and live your best life outdoors

Is there anything that makes a picnic even better than wine? How about a designated wine table. With summer in full swing alfresco dining is here, and whether that's a picnic spread at the park or a tapas selection on your patio, we're all embracing outdoor living. However, finding somewhere to precariously balance a bottle can often end in disaster, which is why this genius innovation was invented. 

Picnic wine tables are designed to hold not only your bottle but your glasses, too. They're intended to be the perfect height, whether you're sitting on a garden chair or on a picnic blanket, and you can buy ones that either stand on supported legs or stake into the ground depending on your needs. It's the piece of modern outdoor furniture nobody knew they needed, until now. And if you're keen to embrace this new alfresco trend, I've got you covered. 

(Image credit: Gustaf Westman Objects)

We all love outdoor dining, but there really is nothing sadder than spilling a bottle of wine at your alfresco evening soiree. We've all been there - the attempt to balance the bottle on a tuft of grass or an uneven paving stone, only for it to topple over moments later. Well, the answer to your woes is here. Behold - the picnic wine table. 

The marvelous abstract design shown above is courtesy of iconic Swedish designer, Gustaf Westman. Perfect for channeling your inner Barbie this July (yes, it's Barbiecore season - thanks Greta Gerwig), this pink masterpiece comes with curved legs that pair stability with style. It features a cratered center for holding your bottle, two flat table surfaces (great for nibbles), and two double-pronged limbs for sliding in the stem of your wine glass. It really is the sort of thing that dreams are made of. 

'The wine table is specially designed for a wine bar called Vingården in Stockholm,' explains Gustaf Westman. 'I love it when furniture is interactive, and this idea started with a simple question: What if you slide the wine glass into the table instead of putting it on the table? The functionality was the most important aspect, and the design came afterward.'

(Image credit: Gustaf Westman Objects)

Of course, there's nothing to stop you from using this wine table indoors either. It's ideal for movie nights on the sofa to save you from reaching the coffee table, or for placing on the floor next to your dining table when hosting a meal to minimize spillages. 'The table can also be complemented with a small tray that can be slid in, making it easy to use for things other than wine glasses,' Gustaf explains. 

You won't be able to get your hands on one of Gustaf's wine tables just yet, but expect that they'll be added to his site soon. In the meantime, there are plenty of other outdoor wine tables that are more portable, made with picnicking in mind. These versions are typically assembled with a single stake that goes into the ground, and while they're not so useful on a patio or deck, they're still a picnic essential for garden parties this season. 

Others - like this heart-shaped wine table from Walmart that's perfect for a romantic rendezvous - fold out to stand on legs. The benefit of this kind is that, although lower to the ground, they can still be used on hard surfaces as well as grass. They're also usually small enough to fit in your picnic basket when folded. 

No more sipping from paper cups this summer. I'm set on buying an outdoor wine table - it's the proper way to do alfresco dining, after all.