Boulder Wine Merchant owner Brett Zimmerman MS recently attended the Telluride Table wine event and he came back inspired by some of the wonderful “Summer Reds” he tasted at the gathering. In Europe, wines like these are often served slightly chilled in summer time when we still crave red but we want to keep things fresh. The French, Italians, and Spanish do this partly because of the warm weather and partly because of the foods we eat in summertime.
If you have a fridge or wine fridge with easy-to-set temperature, then consider chilling the wines to “cellar temperature.” Experts vary on what the ideal temperature is but most concur that 55° F. is a good reference point (some say as low as 45° while others go as high as 65°).
If you don’t have a temperature-precise appliance, we recommend putting the wines in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving. Or you can just lie the bottles on top of a pack of ice: You don’t want the wines icy cold; you just need to get them close to cellar temperature.
This will help the wine maintain its balance in the glass, especially if served outdoors in the summer heat. It will also help the wine to keep its natural freshness, a key element in the food-friendliness of all wines and summer wines in particular.
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Wine Wednesday
complimentary
Here’s what will be presenting:
**1. Santa Maddalena Huch am Bach 2023, Alto Adige, Italy
An Alpine blend of Schiava and Lagrein from Italy’s Dolomites.
**2. Costaripa Campostarne 2019, Valtenesi, Italy
A super-fresh mountain wine made with Groppello Gentile, Marzemino, Sangiovese, and Barbera.
**3. Joan d’Anguera Les Maiols 2023, Catalunya, Spain
Beautifully aromatic Garnacha (Grenache) from Spain, vinified in a light, refreshing style.
**4. Maxime Magnon Campanges 2022, Corbières Rouge, France
Whole-cluster fermented Carignan from a favorite producer, the richest wine the flight but still nimble in the glass.