How to enjoy red wine in summer

SubRosa wine at sunset

On hot days, we often reach for a cool drink, but you don’t have to wait for the leaves to change colour to enjoy a good red. Red wine can be a great match on a balmy summer night or for those countless BBQ’s with friends.

Here are our top tips for enjoying red wine in summer.

  1. Avoid big, bold wines that are high in alcohol. Heavily oaked wines with high tannin are not as enjoyable as lighter bodied wines in warm weather. Save the robust red for a rich, winter dish.
  2. Lightweight clothes work in warm weather, just like lighter bodied red wines. Our favourite red varieties to enjoy in warmer months include Nebbiolo, Grenache and cool-climate Shiraz. Rosé is also a hit (especially with Nancy). Made from red grapes in the style of a white wine, Rosé that is bright, flavourful and textured is delicious. Rosé is best enjoyed within two years of bottling.
  3. Chill it. Red wine should be served at 15 – 18C which is cooler than Australian-summer room temperature. Place your bottle of red wine in the fridge for about 15 – 20 minutes before serving. Before pouring, touch the side of the wine bottle. The wine should feel cool to the touch, but not cold. Rosé should be chilled and removed from the fridge 15 minutes before sharing.
  4. If your wine starts to warm-up as you drink it, pop it back in the fridge for five minutes, but don’t let it get too cold. Serving a red wine too cold masks aromas and flavours. Serving red wine too warm makes it unbalanced. The alcohol gets its party shoes on and leaps out of the glass.

So the secret sauce, wine selection and wine temperature. Cheers to more red wine on summer days!

Adam’s favourite summer red: Cool climate shiraz. Try our 2018 SubRosa Grampians Shiraz.

 

SubRosa season’s greetings and summer news

It’s summer…and about to get HOT here in Victoria.

We’ve had a mild spring, with average rainfall which is great for our vines. They’re healthy and growing well.

2019 has been a big year for us as we welcomed our son Charlie, received critical acclaim from James Halliday, Huon Hooke and Mike Bennie, started exporting to Japan and featured in the latest Wine Australia marketing campaign.

On our website, you’ll find our new release Viognier, Rosé, Nebbiolo, Shiraz and our inaugural Cabernet Sauvignon.

Our 2017 SubRosa Monseigneur Grampians Cabernet Sauvignon is pretty special. You can read all about it and how Adam got his “Monseigneur” nickname in the next issue of Halliday Wine Companion magazine on sale 16 January, 2020.

Want to know all our news? Read our Summer 2019 newsletter here.

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season.

Cheers,
Nancy and Adam

 

Photo credit: Wine Australia