As it’s warmed up outside, we gain a terrific excuse to explore the refreshing delights of lightly chilled red wines. Red wines that chill down especially well tend to be light-bodied, youthful, and unoaked. Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, young Rioja, and many Italian and natural wines truly shine when given a moderate chilling. Dropping their temperature to 50-55° F. allows the vibrant red fruit flavors to take center stage for a joyful sipping experience that is lively on your palate.
Serving temperature has a meaningful impact on the flavor of any wine, muting some flavors while enhancing others. In this case, chilling brings the wine into sharper focus and gives it a refreshing lift on the palate. It also minimizes alcohol’s heat, making these reds additionally thirst-quenching for a casual summer sip to complement simple fare.
We encourage you to experiment with cooling down red wines, but bear in mind that bold reds do not show well when too chilled. They seem disjointed, incomplete, and their tannins harshen when served cold.
Details follow.
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Wine Wednesday
complimentary
- Nieport “Nat Cool” Tinto 2021, Bairrada, Portugal 1L
- Ercole Barbera del Monferrato 2022, Italy 1L
- Marigny “Drink This Wine” Red 2022, America
- Lini 910 Lambrusco Rosso 2023, Emilia Romagna, Italy