When the next heatwave hits, chances are your taste buds will crave something seasonal and fresh to chime with al fresco spreads – and that includes a ruby red plucked from the fridge.
So much so, there’s no taboo about chilling down a youthful, light-bodied red before tucking into your BBQ ribs and summer slaw.
As SPAR’s master of wine, Philippa Carr puts it: “When the weather warms up it’s great to have a choice of refreshing wines – and red wines can be just as tasty chilled as whites and rosés.
“Big, full-bodied, oaked and tannic red wines are not the bottles to pick,” highlights Carr. “Choose lighter styles of red where cooling the wines will let the fruity flavours sing.”
Best for chilling are reds with low tannin, lots of fruit and lower alcohol, notes Carr. “Reds that are made from thinner-skinned grape varieties like pinot noir, so, there’s less tannin in the wine.
“Tannin gives that grippy, drying sensation in the mouth and on the gums – not especially refreshing! Other wines to pick could be beaujolais or valpolicella,” suggests Carr.
She says to chill reds to around 10 to 15 degrees centigrade. “A quick way is to use a chill sleeve that you keep in your freezer, or pop the bottle into the freezer itself – but keep checking.”
Carr says you don’t want the wine to be too cold as it will mute the flavours, be that red, white or rosé.
“If you’re catering for family and friends and need more than one bottle then fill a container with ice and water, and leave for about 10 minutes,” she adds.
Feeling a thirst coming on? Here are four ruby reds to chill out with…
1. Morrisons The Best Chinon 2023, France, £8
Super delicious, this Loire Valley lovely offers a sunny ripeness and seduces with pretty raspberry florals and fruit that makes you want to dive right in. Hints of cassis lend lots of charm to this cabernet franc – the grape is more akin to a bordeaux blend but offers vibrancy when its bright berry fruits take an icy plunge.
2. Wildflower Pinot Noir, Romania, £8.29, SPAR in-store
Fruit-forward with all the silkiness you’d expect from this variety, lifted scents of raspberry and cranberry follow through on the palate with savoury undertones and a succulent juiciness that’s happiness in a glass. A crowd-pleaser that’s generously fruity, a light chill makes it all the more lip-smacking.
3. Waitrose Beaujolais Villages 2022, France, £11.99
Dependably delectable at a cooler temperature, this is quintessential joyous juice with all the glorious gamay grape notes you could wish for. Think lifted florals with baskets of brightly flavoured raspberry and red cherry fruit alongside spicy nuances, this lively wine really comes to life when served slightly chilled.
4. W/O Organic Frappato 2023, Terre Siciliane IGT, Italy, £13.99, Laithwaites
Fresh, fruity and lots of fun, cheers to this organic and vegan red packaged in recycled glass. A sun-kissed, scented Sicilian, it offers flavoursome red berries, juicy cherries and strawberries, with delicious depth on the ripe palate; balanced by fresh acidity and lifted, fresh finish. Bellissima!
