The nights are getting cooler and the leaves will soon be turning yellow. With that comes the celebration and enjoyment of red wine in particular. I have been asked over the years, how do I go about cellaring wine and what is the best temperature to serve my wines? When it comes to temperature, the answer is ‘it depends.’ Most people might say ‘room temperature’ when talking about a red, but it depends on the style of red. The best temperature for sparkling wine is different to white and different again for red. It then varies further based on the varietal.
As we are now over the peak of summer (and can I just say what a particularly hot and intense one we had!), our wine will be happier as extreme temperatures affect the enjoyment of our wines. If you were to take my 14.5% Reserve McLaren Vale Shiraz to a BBQ and get a hot day, it’s most likely going to taste like ‘rocket fuel’ due to the affect of the heat on the high alcohol and tannins in the wine. You’ll most likely lose the subtle fruit flavours and characters. Dropping the temperature back down under 20oC will restore its balance and character. One way this can be achieved is with a ‘wine-sleeve’ or a wine bucket filled with water and just a little bit of ice. You can also use a wine cabinet (but more on that later).
And what of the other Enfant Terrible wines that I have at home ready to be enjoyed, you ask? Well for the Chardonnay I suggest a temperature of around 12–13oC. Serving at this temperature will bring the Chardonnay to life and allow the subtle oak and tannins to shine through as they should. It might surprise you that I recommend 10-12oC for my Rosé. The reason being that it is a serious Rosé that is dry, elegant and floral. A mix of wild flowers and dried herbs with a balanced zesty acidity. Not your typical sweet Australian Rosé! This wine is quite delicate, so I actually put a warning on the label “don't over-chill” which is easy to do as most conventional fridges are set to 3 or 4 oC.
So when you combine the two elements of a conventional fridge being too cold for wine with your typical impatient Naked Angel, the solution (if you have the room and can afford the price tag) is a wine cabinet and my personal recommendation is Vintec.
So if you are sick of ‘making do’ by taking the wine out of the fridge a little early or storing your wine in cold dark corners of the house, we are giving you the chance to WIN Vintec’s best selling 36 bottle wine cabinet full of Enfant Terrible Wines. All you have to do is follow James-Paul Marin at Naked Wines and purchase any Enfant Terrible Wines in April or May for your chance to win.*
*Terms and conditions apply
