Cool reds for hot days

This summer, the coolest bottle in the fridge isn’t white or rosé – it’s red. Tunbridge Wells Business Magazine’s Drinks Editor James Viner explains why….

Drinking chilled red wine is fast becoming a very popular pastime here in the UK – and the secret to getting it right is the temperature. Give the right red a light chill, and it comes alive with brighter fruit, fresher flavours and greater drinkability. Above 20°C, crispness and definition give way to stewed fruit and alcoholic heat. That’s why I never hesitate to ask for an ice bucket for red wine in summer. 

But not every red rewards the same treatment. Fruit-driven styles with lively acidity and gentle tannins respond best to a light chill. Thirty minutes in the fridge or ten minutes in an ice bucket usually does the trick. Bigger, fuller-bodied wines need only a gentle chill, as too much cold can harden tannins. 

Here are eight reds that truly shine when served at 12–14°C on hot days.

1. 2025 Sainsbury’s Discovery No 53 Frappato Taste the Difference, Sicily, Italy 

£9, Sainsbury’s (buy 3, save 25% with Nectar card until 21 July), 12.5%

Few grape varieties take to chilling as happily as Frappato. Sicily’s answer to Gamay is tangy, vivid and irresistibly refreshing. A short spell in an ice bucket sharpens its acidity and lifts pomegranate, cranberry, strawberry and cherry fruit. Superb with barbecued sardines or pasta con le sarde. 

2. 2023 Morandé Reserva One to One País, Chile

£9.50, Majestic, 13.5%

Made from dry-farmed 80-year-old País vines, this highly quaffable Chilean red layers redcurrant, raspberry and cherry with gentle spice and earthy savouriness. Just enough tannin gives it shape while keeping things fresh. Perfect with charcuterie.

3. 2024 Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand

£11 (down from £13.50 until 21 July), Waitrose; £13.50, Tesco, 12.5%

Year after year, Villa Maria gets Pinot Noir right. This dependable Marlborough favourite balances ripe cherry, raspberry and plum with gentle spice, dried herbs and brisk cranberry acidity. Silky, vibrant and even better after half an hour in the fridge. Hello smoked salmon.

4. 2025 Luna Beberide Mencía, Bierzo, Spain 

£11.50, The Wine Society, 13%

If you’ve never tried Mencía, start here. This artisanal wine from Bierzo’s slate-rich, high-altitude vineyards combines pomegranate and plum with mineral freshness, subtle spice, earthiness and fine tannins. Pour with roast duck, tapas, brill in red wine sauce or pimientos de padrón.

5. 2025 Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages, France 

£12.75, Tesco, 12.5%

Beaujolais was made for summer. Silky, gluggable and made from low-tannin, thin-skinned Gamay, this youthful red bursts with vibrant acidity, summer berries and a hint of forest floor. Delicious with burgers, charcuterie, grilled tuna, barbecued sausages or Niçoise salad.

6. 2023 Thymiopoulos Atma Xinomavro, Naoussa, Greece 

£13.25, Waitrose (on offer at £11 from 22 July–18 August), 13%

A standout at Waitrose’s recent press tasting, this comes from superstar producer Thymiopoulos and Greece’s flagship red grape, Xinomavro. Nebbiolo lovers will enjoy its wild Mediterranean herbs, crunchy red berries and piquant rhubarb. Blissful with barbecued souvlaki.

7. 2023 Artuke Rioja, Spain 

£16.95, Lea & Sandeman, 13.5%

Think Rioja can’t be chilled? Think again. This energetic organic example from a small family estate uses carbonic maceration – a technique behind many fragrant, low-tannin Beaujolais reds. Expect violets, thyme, red and yellow fruit, and bright acidity. This summer, the coolest bottle in the fridge might just be red. Cheers!

Follow James on Instagram @QuixoticWines