Chillable Reds?

Red wine gets a bit of a bad reputation when it comes to the fridge. But I like live a little on the edge and prove a point!

We are often told that white wine should be chilled and red wine should be served at room temperature. But that is a pretty outdated rule. Some red wines are actually fantastic when served slightly chilled, particularly lighter, fresher styles.

So, what actually happens when you chill a red wine?

Temperature changes how we experience wine.

Temperature has a significant effect on the way we perceive wine.

When a lighter red is chilled, its acidity can feel more pronounced. The wine's actual acidity has not changed, but our perception of it can. This can make the wine feel fresher, brighter and more refreshing.

Temperature also affects the way we perceive alcohol. Serving an appropriate red slightly chilled can make the alcohol feel less prominent, allowing the wine's freshness to stand out.

There is also an effect on aroma. Wine contains hundreds of volatile compounds responsible for its aromas. As wine warms, these compounds generally become more volatile and can move more readily into the space above the wine. This is why a wine can seem more aromatic and expressive as it warms in your glass.

You can actually try this yourself. Taste a chilled red when you first pour it, then leave it in the glass for 10 or 15 minutes and taste it again. You may notice that the aromas become more pronounced and the overall character of the wine changes as its temperature rises.

What about tannin?

Tannin is another reason why choosing the right red wine to chill matters.

Tannins are compounds found naturally in grape skins, seeds and stems, and they can also be extracted from oak during winemaking. They are responsible for the drying, grippy sensation you can feel on your gums and the inside of your cheeks.

When a tannic red wine is served very cold, the astringent, drying sensation can become more noticeable. The wine can therefore feel harder and more aggressive.

The tannin itself has not increased because the wine has been chilled. Rather, the temperature can influence how we perceive that astringency.

This is one reason a heavily tannic, full-bodied red is generally not the best candidate for chilling.

So which reds can you chill?

There are plenty of red wine styles that can work beautifully slightly chilled.

Think about lighter and fresher varieties such as Gamay, Pinot Noir, and any lighter styles such as Grenache and Sangiovese can also work particularly well.

The important thing is not simply the grape variety. Winemaking style, alcohol, acidity, tannin and body all contribute to whether a particular wine will benefit from being chilled.

A lighter red with bright acidity, moderate alcohol and restrained tannin is generally a much better candidate than a heavily extracted, high alcohol red with substantial tannin.

How cold should red wine be?

Slightly chilled is the key.

We are not talking about serving red wine at the same temperature as a crisp white wine straight from the fridge.

For lighter reds, somewhere around 12 to 16°C can be a useful starting point, although the ideal temperature depends on the individual wine and your personal preference.

If you take a red wine directly from a household refrigerator, it will usually be much colder than this.

Try giving it some time to warm slightly before drinking it. Alternatively, put the bottle in the fridge for a shorter period before serving.

If the wine seems too cold, simply let it sit in the glass for a few minutes.

Try the experiment yourself

One of the easiest ways to understand the effect of temperature is to taste the same wine at different temperatures.

Pour a glass of a lighter red while it is chilled and pay attention to the acidity, fruit, tannin and aroma.

Then leave the glass for 10 to 15 minutes and taste it again.

As the wine warms, you may find that the aromas become more expressive, the fruit becomes more apparent, and the acidity feels less prominent.

The wine has not suddenly changed its chemical composition because it has warmed up. What has changed is the way the different components are being released and perceived.

This is one of the things I love about wine. Temperature can change your experience of the same wine without changing the wine itself.

And yes, you can chill Grenache.

Grenache is often associated with ripe, generous and full bodied red wines, but it does not always have to be made in that style.

A lighter, fresher Grenache such as “Grenache Supernova” with good acidity and moderate tannin can be a fantastic wine to serve slightly chilled.

It can be particularly enjoyable on a warm day when you want the flavour and character of red wine without the heaviness of a warmer, more powerful style.

So, the next time someone tells you that red wine should never go in the fridge, you can tell them that it depends on the red.

Choose the right style, chill it slightly and see what you think.

You might just find that your favourite red tastes even better with a little chill.