Forget room temperature, sometimes it’s just better to drink red wine chilled. Lighter styles, such as Beaujolais and lighter Italian reds like classic Valpolicella, can benefit from being lightly chilled – particularly refreshing in the summer months. Sarah Jane Evans MW says, ‘As a rule of thumb, the cheaper/simpler the red wine the more it will benefit from being served cool or chilled. ‘Think of the refreshing rustic reds served straight from the fridge in tumblers in Mediterranean bars.’ Evans recommmends putting a wine in the fridge for half an hour, which will particularly tone down the sensation of soupy warmth in a relatively high alcohol red. Ideally, chilled red wines are served at a temperature around 13 – 16°C (55 – 60°F). ‘But chilling emphasises tannin and oak – so be careful to serve a well-structured red only a few degrees cooler than usual,’ says Evans. Try pairing a lighter red wine with paccheri with tomato sauce or rolled pig’s head.

Great quaffing wine, boasting ripe raspberry fruit... When it comes to Kiwi Pinot Noir, you’d struggle to find a better-value example... Made by Filliatreau exclusively for Waitrose and, as you’d expect from this star producer... From 50-year-old Gamay located on the slopes of the Colline du Py... With such a marginal weather, who would have thought Wales could produce wine?!The urge to chill red wine is seasonal – well, I certainly don't want a frosted glass of cold red on a dank winter's night. Chilling emphasises the fresh snap of acidity in a wine, its refreshing, mouth-watering qualities, and that's something to draw out of a red only in warm weather. So, now, as we start to make room in the fridge for bottles of red alongside the white, which styles are best for a light chill? Certainly not the heavy, tannic ones. Those with a full-bodied structure taste most peculiar when cold – almost woody, towards chewy. And very savoury reds – those that taste spicy, earthy or soy-like – aren't enhanced by a spell in the cooler, either.

So keep serving cabernet sauvignon, syrah/shiraz, carmenère and other robust grapes at room temperature. But light, soft, juicy reds, those with very low tannins and tangy, red-berry fruit flavours – these can certainly benefit from a little cold. Pinot noir is the obvious candidate here. The simpler, youngest red burgundies, Alsace pinots and New World versions all taste great lightly chilled on a hot day. Beaujolais is another fresh, succulent red that can take a chill, and so can inexpensive, easy-going Italians, such as simple chiantis, bardolino and teroldego. Don't let any red get too iced up, though. Half an hour in the fridge is enough to instil the right chill; much more and the aromas and flavours can seem muted. Then serve with cold food: chilled salmon, cold roast pork, ham and chicken, pâtés and rillettes, or mild cheeses all make a lovely summery match.Marks & Spencer Beaujolais Lantignié 2010, France (£7.99) A scented, refreshing red, truly made for summer, with its lush, juicy raspberry and strawberry notes and light, lifted finish.

Serve cool with fresh salmon. Tesco Finest Teroldego 2009, Vigneti delle Dolomiti, Italy (£7.99) A good fruity Italian red with fresh flavours of cherries and redcurrants. Chill lightly for charcuterie or cold pork. Tierra y Hombre Pinot Noir 2011, Casablanca Valley, Chile (Marks & Spencer, £7.99) A particularly light, fragrant pinot with a delicate summer-pudding fruity appeal, and a violet hint. great red wines under 20 dollarsMouthwatering, especially when cool. buy black ink wineTIPPLE TIP sip the elder... good food and wine brisbane tickets'Get ready for elderflower cordial-making season – soon upon us. buy wine bottle onlineSave small plastic drinks bottles if you plan to freeze batches. best wine to go with chicken

Stock up on citric acid (from home-brew shops or chemists). And keep an eye out for potential crops, picking only when blooms are fully out and creamy-white'When I received a bottle of a newly launched wine called Fichimori and was told to serve it “well-chilled,” I was skeptical to say the least. An Italian red, served cold?! I’d always been under the impression that red wine should be enjoyed just below room temperature and just above cellar temperature—somewhere around 60-65 degrees. best wine tour in new jerseyBut I obliged, and tossed the bottle in the fridge alongside my whites and rosés. On the first warm day of spring, I poured myself a glass and made a startling discovery: It was delicious. The wine was bright and refreshing, with an unusually beautiful ruby red color. Fichimori, which translates to “dark figs” (hence to deep red hue), hails from the southern Italian producer Tormaresca.

It’s a blend of the region’s unique Negroamaro grape with a hint of Syrah and is made with softer tannins than standard red wine—making it best served chilled. We were curious what industry insiders had to say about the notion of drinking chilled red wine, so we assembled a panel of experts—ranging from sommeliers to winemakers—and asked them the following: Is it acceptable to serve red wine chilled? Cooler temperatures help showcase the fruit of certain reds, like Malbec. “Different red wines need respective temperatures to highlight their best attributes, especially in a matter of pairing with food,” explains Victoria Kulinich, sommelier at The Restaurant at Meadowood in St. Helena, California. “Perhaps some easy-going Gamay or some few plush Malbec examples can be served cold to tame their potential alcohol and show off their fruit. Most others just do better at temperatures above.” …but it should never be served “ice cold.” “There is a very important difference between cold wine and fresh wine.

In my opinion, no wine should ever be served ice cold unless it is trying to hide imperfections,” says sommelier Olivier Flosse, who oversees the wine cellars at A Voce restaurants. “Wine served at a ‘fresh’ temperature, below room temperature, can make certain varietals more enjoyable and easier to drink, especially if they have particularly high alcohol contents. Light red wines served at a fresh temperature are perfect for summer, and I think more people are beginning to realize that.” Chilled red wine doesn’t preserve well, but it’s still a great summer alternative. Gino Santangelo, Executive Sommelier at The Forge in Miami Beach explains, “Wines with low tannin taste better cold but don’t preserve well.  It’s a wine for lunch, for fun, for summer.” For great chilled red wine options, look to the French. Ian Cauble, master sommelier and co-founder of SommSelect, a curated wine e-tailer suggests, “There are many great wines from France that perform very well served slightly chilled around 50-55 degreees, such as young Cru Beaujolais, Chinon or Côtes du Rhone.”