2 minute read
And … it’s the final part of wine at the right temperature where we look at REDS. Yep – as it’s coming into winter this is certainly a timely post!
Fortunately, with reds things are relatively simple (or are they?!). The rule of thumb for reds is “room temperature”. But what does that mean?! I always tell my students to imagine “room temperature” as being in a French château 200 years ago in the middle of winter. That might be a bit chilly, to be fair, but it’s far closer to the ideal than having your bottle of Grange sitting in full sun, next to the BBQ on a 40°C day!
In terms of numbers, you are looking at 15-18°C. The lighter the red, the more you might want to consider chilling it lightly (especially on a hot day). In fact, with our summers, I’d go as far as suggesting you should never be afraid of popping any red in the fridge for, say, 15 minutes on a super hot day.
The thing to keep in mind is that most reds are relatively low in the acidity department and, as I’ve mentioned previously, chilling a wine helps our perception of that acidity. Acidity not only make a wine feel refreshing, it’s an important structural component too (think of it like part of a skeleton). Without appropriate levels of acidity or served at too warm a temperature, a wine may feel a bit flabby, unstructured or cloying.
And, especially if it’s a warm day, that’s the last thing you want!
Now – you might be wondering what constitutes a ‘lighter’ red. Well, it’s not your big, bold Barossa Shiraz! Keep those more on the 18°C side of things! Some Pinot Noir can be very light, and European wines like Valpolicella and Beaujolais are also very well suited to a few minutes in the fridge.
As always, it’s best to work out what suits you. Put the wine in the fridge for a touch too long? Pour a glass, leave it aside for a little while and it will warm up! Just don’t try to warm it up in the microwave …
