Whatever wine we drink this summer, we want it to be cool (and sometimes cold). Even the red wines taste better if they are a little cool in the summer, around 18C for solid reds and even down to 14C for lighter reds on a hot day. There are some easy tricks to get the right temperature for your wine and the most important one is to start cold.
In the heat of the summer, the temperature rises quickly in the glass. Don’t be afraid to put an ice cube in the wine glass for a few minutes (at least for “everyday wines”). Pick it up before it starts to melt. The wine will taste better but not diluted.
You can cool the wine in the freezer (20–40 minutes, but don’t forget to set a timer so that you don’t forget the bottle!) or in a bucket with ice cubes and water, which only take around 10-15 minutes.
A “cooling sleeve” that you have kept in the freezer and then put the bottle in also works well and quite quickly.
If you are cooling your wine in the refrigerator, plan ahead. It takes longer than you think to cool in the refrigerator. It takes at least three hours to bring the temperature down from 22 degrees C to 6 degrees C. “Put the wine in the fridge for 15 minutes” simply does not work.
At a restaurant, do not hesitate to ask for an ice bucket also for red wines.
Read more about serving your wines at the right temperature here.
