Is it acceptable to add ice to your rosé? Can reds be served chilled?
We’re often asked if it is acceptable to add ice to your wine in the soaring heat, or if you can serve red wines chilled.
Our view is if you want to pop an ice cube in your rosé we're not going to stop you... drinking wine is supposed to be convivial, fun and improve your day. So if you need to add a cube or two to chill a glass down a bit in the sunshine then go for it.
In fact, I recall years ago visiting Paris one summer, I ended up having a drink at the uber-swish Costes hotel. It was wall-to-wall with the glamourous jet set and they were all drinking champagne or rosé á la piscine (a glass of fizz/ wine with ice cubes). So, if its good enough for them, it's fine by me. Perhaps just finish your glass before the ice melts so as not to dilute the flavours in the wine.
Similarly, if you want to serve a red wine lightly chilled with the barbeque, this is absolutely an option too. It can work well with reds that are light in body, with a fruit focus, little to no oak and low levels of tannins.
A wine that ticks all these things as well as being completely delicious is Julien Chantreau’s Chiroubles – a Beaujolais Cru made from the Gamay grape and packed with crunchy raspberry and cherry fruit. It's my go-to chilled red throughout the summer.
A word of warning though, take care not to over-chill your red wines. Pop them in the fridge or an ice bucket for 20-30 mins before drinking, and serve them between 10°C-16°C so that they retain their fruity character. Then sit back and enjoy!
