With autumn’s chill permeating the air, I return to red wines. But how do I like to enjoy them?
Three words: With. A. Chill.
Red wines served too warm are a scourge of some restaurants as well as folks who live in a home heated to a kiln-like temperature. Warm red wine is just plain gross. (Unless it’s mulled.) I strongly advise you to stick all your red wines in the fridge for like 20 minutes and drink them with a touch of coolness.
There are some red wines that lend themselves to be serving fairly cold or seriously chilled. My favorite would have to be Lambrusco. Not only is it an amazing food wine–probably the best pizza wine in the history of the world plus awesome with beef jerky–but its frizzante nature (aka semi-sparkling) makes it super-fun to drink. Purple foam y’all!!!
Pretty much how the podcast recording with Rachel went, except sub red wine for (The) Champagne (of Beers). Photo by Michael Clinard.
I was delighted to find a partner in crime for a chilled red wine adventure: Rachel Belle. She had a bit of an epiphany regarding chilled red wine on a recent trip to Italy. So I knew I had to have her as a guest on the podcast. I strongly suggest you tune in to KIRO Radio to hear Rachel on the Ron and Don show as well as the Ring My Belle Weekends podcast. Do it! Rachel is super quick-witted, funny, smart, and has an inquisitve cat.
Other wines we enjoy? Marchione Grignolino. It’s a red that is very light in color but not lacking depth in the flavor department. (Both the Opera 02 Lambrusco and Grignolino are from importer A.I. Selections. Cheers, AI! BTW, AI does not stand for Artificial Intelligence nor Allen Iverson. Rather, “Acid, Inc.” Because that’s how they like their wines: lively.)
We also sample a bottle of Raisins Gaulois, from iconic Beaujolais producer Domaine Marcel Lapierre. It’s a slurpable Gamay.
Finally, we get scientific with one of my favorite bargain red wines: Castaño Monastrell. (Note: I had five graphic designers critique its label.) Now this is not a red wine I would recommend drinking cold, but, for comparison’s sake we tried some served at room temperature and some chilly from the fridge. How was the wine different? TUNE IN:
All wines provided as samples. Thank you to A.I. Selections, Kermit Lynch, and Eric Solomon Selections.
