Every few years there’s a new wine craze. For example, the 2010s were the decade when rosé wine suddenly took the world by storm—in the United States alone, rosé wine sales grew by 1,433%. Then, in the early 2020s, everyone suddenly started thinking about orange, and it went from niche to mainstream in just a few years. (According to The Guardian, sales in London grew 437% month-on-month this summer.) Now, it seems, there’s a new order on everyone’s lips: chilled red wine.
Master sommelier Grant Reynolds, who runs Parcels wine bars in Chinatown and Greenwich Village, recently added a “chilled red of the day” to his menu. “It’s a dominant trend right now,” he said. “For our wines by the glass, it’s always the No. 1 or No. 2 most popular order for us,” he said. “People love it,” said CEO John Neidich. Meanwhile, when James Beard nominee Victoria James created the menu at critically acclaimed Kokodak, she made sure to add a refreshing light red to the menu to pair with her signature tastemaker restaurant recommendation site The Infatuation, “where to go when drinking chilled red wine is your whole personality.”
A quick explanation: Chilled wine is a broad term for a variety of red wines that are best served at cellar or refrigerator temperatures. This is not the case for many red wines, such as full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, because high temperatures only enhance their aromas, flavors and tannins. However, lighter blended wines — such as Gamay, Lambrusco, Beaujolais and Grenache — thrive when served slightly chilled.
These wines are certainly not a new discovery. In fact, they have existed for centuries. So why does chilled red wine seem to be ubiquitous?
Reynolds believes the easy-to-understand terminology helps: “It’s an easier term for someone to understand, rather than you saying, I want a light red or I want a full red or something like that.” Niditch also believes that the growing popularity of natural wines and chilled red wines go hand in hand. “The natural wine trend is huge right now – many natural red wines are light in color and are best served chilled. As a result, we’re increasingly seeing refrigerated red wines.”
There’s also the fact that in the United States, red wines are traditionally sold in late autumn and winter bottles, while white and rosé wines are sold in the summer. With these lighter, natural wines and their refreshing temperature, more and more people are finally realizing that red wine can be enjoyed year-round. “Chilled red wine has always been a part of French drinking culture and is a refreshing way to enjoy wine year-round,” explains Neidich.
James also acknowledges that today’s wine consumers are picky. While in the past consumers have been content with red wines served at room temperature, many people know which types of wines should be consumed at cooler temperatures. “They say, ‘Hey, this wine should be at 55 degrees!’ So everyone is drinking wines at cooler temperatures because it actually tastes better, it has a stronger structure and it’s more flavorful,” she explains.
So the next time you find yourself at a natural bar? Don’t be afraid to jump on the bandwagon—enjoy a glass (or two) of chilled red wine.
