Yes, you read that right, you can chill red wines: why restrict yourself to white and rosé? Some lighter styles of red wine are just made for the ice bucket. We reveal the five best reds to chill.
Crisp notes of red berry and cherry, bright freshness, a lighter body and not a trace of oak – these are the attributes of red wines that lend themselves to being chilled. Serve these at temperatures at 10-12°C or 50-54°F and you will have discovered a whole new, shimmering, refreshing, red side of summer. What is more, these wines rarely break the bank.
Beaujolais, made from the Gamay grape, brims with fresh red fruit flavours. While there are serious wines from Beaujolais crus like Morgon, Moulin-a-Vent or Chiroubles, the basic, great value appellation wines simply labelled Beaujolais are just the ticket to being cooled down.
This northern Italian grape variety from Piedmont has just what it takes to be chilled: Barbera has soft tannins, is very fruity, comes with ample freshness and, at the lower price point, is rarely oaked. Its cherry notes will be wonderful with fresh charcuterie.
Yes, one of the world’s most noble grape varieties can be chilled: we recommend doing that with the entry-level Pinot Noirs you find on shop shelves, not with pricy single-vineyard wines, of course. Simple Pinot Noirs always have freshness, red-fruited charm and a certain slinkiness that works beautifully at lower temperatures.
This red grape from Sicily is a real charmer: Frappato is a berry-scented, fruity, bright marvel that seems to have been made for hot summer days. Even when it is chilled it still has an alluring perfume that is reminiscent of summer pudding.
Wines made from this Austrian red grape variety just burst with flavours of red and black cherry. If you go for an entry-level Zweigelt, you will have just the style that benefits from being chilled: it is soft, vibrant with fruit and wonderfully fresh.
