Are you sweaty and thirsty? Are you afraid of the heavy
stuff in the summertime? Don’t fear! Red wine can be chilled. In
the summer months, letting your bottle spend 20 minutes in the fridge or 10 on
ice can bring out a refreshing side of red you may not have known existed. But,
not all reds respond well to being iced, and chilling the wrong reds will bring
out all the wrong flavors for summer sipping.
Yes, this
violates the "room temperature" rule but that wasn't good advice to begin with! Also, who likes rules? The truth is that a lightly chilled
glass of red wine can be a great thing in the summer (or any time of the year)
provided that you keep in mind a few tips:
Keep
it fresh and fruity. Dry, fruit forward reds
are great with a bit of chill. Beaujolais is the classic example, but there are plenty of options from
Italy, too, like Piedmont's Dolcetto and Barbera and Veneto's Valpolicella. Or,
try Greek reds from Peloponnese.
Pick
a wine that's light. Think cool climate Pinot Noir, Loire Cabernet Franc or even Austrian Blaufrankisch. For barbeques,
try an all American Zinfandel, but be sure to pick up a light style that's low
in alcohol and not too intense. Another good bet is a young Spanish Rioja,
labeled Crianza. It's low in oak and tannin (and cheap).
Serve
them chilled; not ice cold. You're looking for a chill,
so about 45 minutes in the fridge should do it. If you're in the mood for
something cooler, reach for a glass of bubbly red instead like Lambrusco.
Keep
it cool:
Gamay from Beaujolais,
France.
Pinot Noir from Oregon,
California or even Alsace, France.
Zweigelt hailing from
Austria.
Schiava de Alto Adige,
Italy.
Frappato from Sicily
Lambrusco, the famous Italian
sparkling red.
Reds from the Alentejo region
of Portugal.
Grenache / Garnacha, from France or Spain.
Cabernet Franc from the Loire
Valley.
Zinfandels with lower percentages of
alcohol by volume.
Check the blog spot often for more tips
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