Sunny Days Call for Cool Wine

 

Is there anything better than a cool glass of white wine on a summer’s day? Refreshing and tongue tantalizing, it is the perfect way to beat the heat.

              I am incredibly picky when it comes to the temperature of my food and beverages. I want my hot stuff piping, and my cool stuff chilling. This is probably why I adore the VoChill my husband got me a few years back for Christmas. This device is a stemmed wine glass holder that has a detachable top that goes into the freezer. Depending on the outside temperature, it can keep a glass of wine chilled for forty-five minutes to an hour and a half. This thing has been amazing to use, especially on the patio, as it keeps my wine at that perfect crisp temp I love.

              With my obsession of having everything served at its optimal degree of heat, I have always tried to be very mindful of the temperature of my wine. In my wine room, I have wine coolers that hold the current bottles I am working on. One is set at 46 degrees for my whites, rosés, and sparklers, and another at 63 for my reds. When it comes to drinking the whites, I avidly used my VoChill. This system has generally served me well, but a recent glass of wine has made me consider that not all wines are created temperature equal.

              Anyone who has taken an interest in wine education has been preached to about the importance of wine being consumed at the correct temperature. The general rule of thumb is champagne and light-bodied whites should be served between 40 and 45 degrees, full-bodied/aromatic whites, dessert whites, and rosés 45 to 55 degrees, light-bodied and medium-bodied reds 55 to 60 degrees, and full-bodied and dessert reds 60 to 65. There is some wiggle room and debate in each of these categories by a degree or two, but the above is a good guideline to keep in mind. Why? A wine not served at that perfect temperature can have muted flavors, and parts of the wine like the acidity, tannins, etc. can seem over the top or extra drab. Though I knew this, and believed it to an extent, I still felt like the breakdowns in the whites and the breakdowns in the reds seemed a bit far-fetched. That was until a Chardonnay showed me the error of my ways.

              Excited for the Chardonnay I purchased because it had been on the Wine Spectator Top 100 list, my first glass did not disappoint. Enjoying this wine one evening while watching TV, no VoChill needed, I found it chock-full of delicious flavors like baked pear, lemon, banana cream pie, buttered popcorn, and an undertone of mineral similar to the way rain smells. Excited to have another glass, I decided it would be the perfect FAB (Friday Afternoon Bath) wine. I opted to use my VoChill, and this time I found the wine to still be good, but the acidity seemed off the charts, and it was not as flavorful, nor did it have the abundance of flavors, it had previously shown. I was super confused, and it was the third glass that got things clicking in my brain.

              Multi-tasker is not my middle name, so on the third night I poured my glass of wine and put it in the fridge before finishing up dinner. This way it would be ready when dinner was. When everything was done, I pulled it out, took a sip, and was greeted by that lack of flavor and overly intense acidity. I frowned, wondering how I had been so off the first day. As we sat down and ate, and I continued to work on the glass, I started to notice something. As the fridge chill on my wine faded, so did that jab of acidity. Not only that, but those wonderful flavors from the first day were becoming stronger and stronger. It hit me then and there. I had been making this wine too cold.

              With this new-found knowledge, for my final glass I opted out of using my VoChill and kept that wine out of the fridge. Doing these two minor things led to pure wine drinking bliss. It also got me thinking about other wine experiences that were a bit ruined thanks to temperature. Like the time I chose to not use my VoChill with a glass of sparkling wine and, thanks to a warmer temperature, found it to not have its usual zip of acidity and flavor. Or the time at a New Mexico winery where they served my Zinfandel – and by Zinfandel, I mean basic Zinfandel, not White Zin – at the same frigid level as the whites I was trying, muting everything that could have been great about this red. Then there was the time I had bought a Beaujolais at a wine shop after getting to try it in their adjoining tasting room. They had recommended keeping it a bit more chilled than I would usually serve a red, and I stupidly did not follow their suggestion. Though it was still an excellent wine, it just didn’t have the same depth of flavor and enjoyment as the glass I previously had.

              Now on a quest to enjoy my wines at their optimal temperatures, and since I don’t think I have the space in my wine room for two more chillers (husband if you are reading this and have some ideas that would be great…) I have been doing some experimenting and reading to gain some new tricks to aid me in this endeavor. I have learned that if a wine needs to be a bit cooler than it is, investing in and using a VoChill like item, or sticking the glass or bottle in a colder fridge than where it had been stored for about fifteen minutes for whites and champagnes, five minutes for reds, can give it that perfect cooling effect. For those Chardonnays and Viogniers that need a warm-up? Simply pull it out of the chiller for about ten to fifteen minutes before serving, and it will be a delight. If a wine needs to stay cold throughout a dinner or event, there are a wide variety of ice buckets and similar devices that can be used. If a red is accompanying a backyard barbecue, keeping that wine bottle inside and out of the heat will ensure a quality pour each time.

              That has been my personal wine temperature journey. In the end, though, the important thing is to find whatever temperature brings you the most pleasure. You like to chill all of your reds? Do it. You like your whites a bit more room temperature? Go for it. As with all things wine, tastes and palates are different, and you have to find what works best for you. For me, I say cheers to a crisp, cold white on a hot sunny day!