My red’s cooler than yours
The mercury is set to rise this weekend, so a great time to ponder a thirst-quenching selection to replenish the wine fridge ahead of the Memorial Day holiday. We have white, rosé, and sparkling aplenty – but red wine lovers should not despair. There are a host of great options that are absolutely delicious lightly chilled.
This isn’t sacrilege. Many reds are delicious ‘cool’, though I would generally avoid serving them fridge cold (40-45F). The ideal is around 55-60F – the point at which freshness is enhanced without inducing coarse tannins.
I would suggest focusing on styles that are lighter in body, fruity in character, and – most importantly – have gentle, smooth tannins. I would avoid older wines, as their more subtle, savoury character can be undermined if too cold.
If you’re outside, a bottle (and your glass) will warm up fast, so don’t be afraid to deploy a wine cooler for your reds if you feel them getting a little hot and soupy.
Recommended Chilled Reds
Pinot Noir is the obvious choice but before you unleash your finest bottle of Grand Cru, I would caution that it’s the fruity, vibrant Pinots that work best. The West Coast is the perfect hunting ground and it just so happens to be Oregon wine month so fill your fridges with Lingua Franca and Ponzi.
Sonoma Coast and Santa Barbara are great options too but you don’t need to spend a fortune – our Berry’s Own Selection, made by the brilliant team at Au Bon Climat, for just $29.95 is perfect.
The left-field choice is from Argentina’s Patagonia – better known for its desert than its Pinot Noir – but Bodega Chacra’s Barda delivers a cool oasis of Pinot flavours when lightly chilled.
Don’t dismiss Burgundy. Bourgogne Rouge works very well chilled, as does a village Volnay or something from the Hautes-Côtes in a sunny vintage. Perhaps my favourite option is the hard-to-say-but-all-too-easy-to-drink, ‘passetoutgrain’. This is a great value mixture of Pinot Noir and Gamay which can be the best of both worlds when it’s made from old vines by a top grower like Bruno Clavelier.
There’s something about the supple, vibrant fruit and smooth tannins of Beaujolais that delivers optimum refreshment. I might avoid the more serious Moulin-à-Vent but pretty much everything else from Juliénas to Brouilly works well lightly chilled.
While the Rhône might not be your first port of call for a chilled reds, Côtes du Rhône can work well. Look out for wines lighter on the oak, or with a good splash of Grenache. Its smooth tannins and red fruit profile work wonders.
Broaden your horizons from the Rhône valley, and you’ll find incredible single varietal Grenache like Eben Sadie’s stunning Soldaat or wonderful Garnacha from places like Spain’s spectacular Gredos mountains and the wild plains of La Mancha.
Loire Cabernet Franc that’s light on oak can also work, though I would try a younger, riper vintage like 2022. Saumur-Champigny or Bourgueil is perfect. You want fruit to trump tannin and any hint of the herbaceous.
The great Italian reds tend to be structured wines with textured tannins but there are still plenty of options for chilling in Il Bel Paese. I would try a juicy Langhe Nebbiolo or a fruity Barbera from Piemonte, or Sicily’s deliciously drinkable Frappato and Nero d’Avola.
There really is a red for every occasion!