It's time to learn from redsangria. No one bats an eye or asks "should red wine be chilled?" when you serve it nice and cool—over ice, even. (In fact, if you don't serve sangria chilled, you may start a riot.) Sure it's actually a cocktail: typically red wine mixed with brandy and fruit, but still, when I talk about chilling red wine to drink as is, I'm usually met with incredulous stares and can practically hear fleeting whispers saying "that's not the way things are done!" Followed, of course, by the inevitable, “why don't you just drinkrosé?”
Well, sure, I'm definitely a proponent of the#roséalldaylifestyle. But sometimes—even in the heat of summer—I want a wine with a little more body, a little more structure, and yes, a little more vermillion. And on that hot summer's night, I also want that wine chilled.
I'm not alone in my pursuit of cool red, either. Pat Henderson, chief winemaker atKenwood Vineyards,is also fan. "I love a rich Cabernet," he says, "but in the summer, when it hits 90°F, I want something a little more refreshing." And while he admits beer and white wine are viable, refreshing options, he also knows that if you're having a juicysteak, Sauvignon Blanc's just not going to cut it.
But don't shove aside the milk and eggs in your fridge in an effort to fit in your whole wine rack just yet. Because not all red wine is created equal (that's a good thing), Henderson has a few guidelines to make the most of your new favorite hashtag: #redwineallthetime.
Which Red Wines Are Best for Chilling
Henderson suggestslighter-bodied reds: thinkPinot Noir, Gamay, and "low-alcohol" Zinfandels; and also suggests looking foryounger bottles. While all wine contains tannins—the quality in red wine that dries out your mouth and makes you suck in your cheeks upon sipping it—fuller-bodied and older wines are richer in tannins than younger and lighter wines. When it comes to chilling, that can either be a good or a bad thing. "Chilling wine accentuates the tannins," says Henderson. For wines with a rich tannin structure (i.e. Bordeaux, Sangiovese, Cabernet, Malbec), chilling can make the wine seem harsh. But for fruitier, lighter reds, accentuating those tannins boosts their food-friendliness, especially when eating something likegrilled meats. "You need a little bit of those tannins to freshen your palate between bites," he says.
Henderson is also a fan of chilled German reds, which are a little harder to find Stateside—if you see a Lemberger (aka Blaufränkisch), on the shelf though, pick it up—that's one his favorite red varieties to put on ice.
What's the Best Way to Chill Red Wine
Henderson's go-to temperature for chilled reds is 58°F, but he notes "if you like it cooler, drink it cooler." Just don't go too cold—straight out of the fridge (at about 40°F) will dull the fruitiness and the flavor of the wine too much—anywhere between 48°F and 60°Fis a good place to aim, the goal (as with anything) is to find what you like best.
Don't have a designated wine fridge or a thermometer handy? He says that the20-minute ruleis a good one to follow: Simply place a room-temp bottle in the fridge for 20 minutes before you plan to pour. As long as you're not in-and-out of the fridge during that time, the wine will have cooled to just the right temperature. (The reverse also works: If you're storing your wine in the fridge, leave it at room temperature for about 20 minutes before pouring so that it has a chance to warm up a bit.) Just because you know the answer to the question "should red wine be chilled" doesn't mean you should go Arctic with your beverages.
In a hurry?Henderson says you can also chill room-temperature red winein an ice bucketin "just 4 to 5 minutes." Keep that one in your back pocket for those lingering mid-summer dinner parties—now when you run out of bottles and have to run out topick up a few more, there's no reason to lose your cool.
