Chilling red wine actually makes it taste better (yes, really)
At the time, I owned a wine shop and bar in an arch under a railway track on a dead-end street in east London. Receiving deliveries of cases of wine in that heat was not fun. I couldn't keep up with people's insatiable desire for chilled rosé and white, but so many red lovers felt left out. So I started serving red wine in the way I love to drink them: chilled.
Now, of course, I'm not for a moment suggesting that my little paradise of wine was responsible for the trend of chilled reds we're encountering today. I was merely emulating what I'd experienced in the bars and restaurants on Le Continent. If you've ever been in a hot country and ordered a red wine, you might find it takes on an almost soup-like consistency. It seems to become denser, heavier and jammier, and isn't particularly appealing.
While many reds love to give you that enveloping feeling, it's not something you necessarily want in 35-degree heat, thank you very much. But in countries across continental Europe, they'll be served from bottles glistening with the beads of condensation, pouring the promise of freshness into your glass.
And I love to see that this trend has gone mainstream. When the large supermarkets are stocking wines with the specific goal of being served chilled, you know something has hit the big time. Why should chilled reds be the preserve of natural wine bars and Parisienne bistros?
In general, we tend to serve red wine way too warm anyway. The commonly suggested temperature is 'room temperature', which is recommended as being between 16 and 18 degrees. Somehow, this idea that 'room temperature' falls around those two numbers is as dated as the aristocratic classes who likely decreed it. Sixteen degrees was probably achievable in their draughty, poorly-insulated country piles – it definitely isn't in our stuffy, central-heated homes.
But why do we even chill wines in the first place, whatever their colour? If you've ever tried a warm white wine, it might deliver a lot when you're smelling it, but when it comes to actually drinking it, it tastes muted, flat, lacking any real sense of definition and is flabby and dull. The process of chilling wine actually enhances the acidity and aromatic compounds, bringing your glass to life and delivering far more pleasure. It's like the wine's standing up and paying attention.
Of course, not all reds are suited for time in the fridge. I would avoid overly chilling big, heavy reds with high tannins, such as cabernet sauvignon or malbec – the cooler temperatures can highlight an astringent note.
Instead, look to the lighter grapes with good acidity and light tannins that are naturally bright and juicy. Grape varieties such as pinot noir, gamay, youthful grenache, frappato from Sicily, zweigelt and xinomavro are all happy fridge-dwellers. And always remember: when it comes to wine, whatever the colour, it's easier to warm them up in the glass than cool them down in the bottle, so don't be too afraid of over-chilling them.
Want to give it a try? Here's some affordable inspiration to chill down in the fridge for 20 minutes or so:
The Interlude Pinot Noir, Australia, 2024
Available from Co-op, £8.65, 11 per cent ABV
Don't over-complicate this uncomplicated wine. It's super simple. Think raspberries and a lick of cinnamon spice, and chill it down for an easy BBQ summer sipper.
Le Chouchou Syrah, Gerard Bertrand, France, 2023
Available from Waitrose, £9.75 (RRP £12.75, on offer until 1/7/25), 11 per cent ABV
I asked a French friend for a translation of 'chouchou', and she said it's a cute term for someone you like, such as a teacher's pet, or a cute friend. And this wine definitely has a cutesy character about it.
A blend of grenache, syrah and cinsault, it's like a posy of pretty scented flowers, bright red cherries and an uplifting freshness – a gorgeous wine for a summer's day. Dangerously moreish, too.
Xinomavro Jeunes Vignes, Thymiopoulos, Greece, 2022
Available from The Wine Society, £13.95, 13 per cent ABV
Xinomavro reminds me of a cross between pinot noir and nebbiolo. It's an indigenous grape native to Greece, and, in its youthful flourish, is perfect slightly chilled.
Delivering heaps of crushed raspberries, juicy dark plums, supported with aromas of wild thyme and rosemary, it has beautiful depth and real character. The lively acidity ties together this bright and energetic wine wonderfully.
Lentsch Zweigelt, Burgenland, Austria, 2022
Available from Waitrose, £10, 12.5 per cent ABV
An utterly charming expression of this Austrian grape that is perfect with a little chill. Think morello cherries, ripe plums, fresh raspberries and an earthy spice note too. It's brimming with vibrant fruit, and delivers a lot of wine for a tenner.
Chateau Picoron Tattarrattat Rouge, France, 2023
Available nationwide, including Highbury Vintners, £22, 13.5 per cent ABV
Merlot has lower tannins than its Bordeaux brother, cabernet sauvignon, and here, it's quite simply bursting with vitality and energy. This medium-bodied wine delivers a glassful of soft red plums, sour cherries, wild strawberries and brimming acidity.
Made using carbonic maceration – a technique more commonly associated with Beaujolais – the grapes are placed in whole bunches into vats which are then sealed and filled with carbon dioxide to remove the oxygen. This means the grapes ferment within themselves, causing the skins to split and release their juices. Tannins and extraction of colour normally remain low, and what you're commonly left with is a gorgeous, soft and fruity wine. Lovely.
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