The next few months are the time when beach parties, barbecues, and outdoor concerts become a weekend staple. As it’s impolite to be the empty-handed guest to an event, luckily it's become easier to go bearing booze, thanks to newly and conveniently packaged wines.

Despite the fact that a traditional sommelier might scoff at the idea of a wine that doesn't come in a bottle, high-end wineries are joining the new breed of compact, portable, and easily-disposable wines-- simple to tote to parties, and not to mention, no worries of spoilage by tainted corks or oxidation. Conveniently-packaged to fit in a cooler, and taking up no more room in the refrigerator than a gallon of milk, these wines fit into an affordable wine budget and could even stay fresh over a few nights. Here are psychoPEDIA’s suggestions for summer-ready wines:

French Rabbit Wines ($10, 1 liter)
Wine snobs with refined palates will be pleased to find their standards met with French Rabbit’s new generation of boxed wines. While boxed wines were once considered no better than drinking beer out of a brown paper bag, these eco-friendly Tetra Pack-ed fine wines are derived from a reputable French vineyard, most notably known for being home to wild rabbits, making them just as palatable as bottled wines. Convenient and suitable for outdoor gatherings, their offerings of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon have all gained high ratings from the toughest of critics.

Francis Coppola Sofia Mini Blanc de Blancs ($15.99, 4-pack)
With a legendary filmmaker-father and a few award-winning indie flicks to her own credit, Sofia Coppola can now add sparkling wine to her list of accomplishments. The eponymous Sofia Mini Blanc de Blancs come in a 4-pack of individual cans, providing a nicer alternative to a 6-pack of beer. Charming packaging and celebrity status aside, the smooth pear, tart apple, lemon and honey undertones give this sparkling wine a distinctly unique flavor, much like its muse.

Dtour Wine ($38, 3 liters)
Dtour Wine is named after its well-respected and expert creators: vigneron Dominique Lafon, sommelier Daniel Johnnes, and chef Daniel Boulud. With their passion for wine as the source of inspiration for Dtour, connoisseurs are providing equally enthusiastic praise. The unique, cylindrical-shaped box comes with a vacuum bag inside, which prohibits oxidation, prolonging the life of your wine–- making it ideal for very heated temperatures like the beach.

Black Box ($19.99, 3 liters)
A multiple-award-winning wine, Black Box has taken boxed wines to higher level with its sleek, black packaging-- promoting themselves as quality-driven, but at affordable prices. Besides its glossy exterior, and the fact that it pairs well with picnic spreads serving mezzi plates and fine cheeses, the best thing about Black Box is that it lasts up to four weeks after opening.

Papamama Vinho Verde
If you've ever wandered much too late into a party with a bottle in hand for the host, you'll discover there aren't any clean cups left. Designer Viktor Pucsek, anticipating these very moments, designed a bottle for the PapaMama Design Competition, which turns the label of the wine bottle into a set of handy, single-use paper cups-- making it extremely convenient and eco-friendly at once.

~Angela Adriano