A Guide To Chilled Red Wine, & Why You Can’t Put Any Old Bottle In The Fridge
From changing tastes and warmer climates to innovative winemaking, chilled reds continue to have their moment in New Zealand. This expert guide explores why, how to choose the right bottle, and the best ways to serve it, with insights from leading local winemakers, sommeliers and retailers.
I’ve found myself ordering chilled reds with increasing regularity over the past few years, and I’m not alone. Scan the drinks list at just about any bar in Auckland (or further afield) and there they are: one chillable red at minimum, sometimes a whole section dedicated to them. Natural wine bars have embraced the style, with chillable reds rising alongside the natural winemaking movement.
With climate shifts, evolving drinking habits and fresher, lighter winemaking styles becoming more prominent, chilled reds are rewriting the rules and bringing a sense of fun and flexibility to the table.
But for all the buzz, I had questions. Why are chilled reds having such a moment? What does chilling do to the flavour? And is my hunch correct that some bars throw their cheapest bottle in the fridge to hide a multitude of sins? (No names, but I’ve wondered.)
Because yes, I love a chilled red as much as the next wine-drinking basic, but I also want to know why reds are chilled. Is it the grape? The winemaking?
So, in the spirit of curiosity (and quality control), I turned to some of New Zealand’s leading winemakers, sommeliers and retailers to find out how to choose the right bottle, whether we’re being catfished by certain fridges, and how to drink chilled red properly, all in the name of summer research.
At By The Bottle in Mount Eden, a wine shop specialising in organic, biodynamic and artisanal wines and beverages from New Zealand and around the world, chilled red is the style asked for the most. Its top-notch chilled red selection includes local makers Kenzie, Three Fates, Halcyon Days, Huntress and more.
Co-owner Pete Connell says sales are even outstripping rose. “Last summer was huge for chilled reds at By The Bottle. I’d go as far as to say they monopolised rose sales. A lot of our customers have tried them overseas and understand what they’re about.”
Ground wine bar manager and sommelier Aleksandr Shchepetkin (Alex) says chilled reds are going strong, and “people are coming to bars and asking for them”. He currently offers a Vitivinicola Loncomilla Pais from Maule, Chile, and will expand the chilled red section come summer. Light, fresh with zingy acidity and a light fruity palate, it’s also “really delicious chilled on a hot summer day”, he says.
Ground’s impressive wine list has made it a destination for discerning drinkers, but Shchepetkin says there’s no need to feel intimidated. Asking for a chilled red, he says, actually makes things easier. Instead of attempting descriptors like “light-bodied” or “low-tannin”, simply ordering a “chilled red” gets you there without the cringe. In his experience, people feel more confident ordering wines in this style, perhaps another subtle reason for their growing popularity.
At new Italian restaurant Mama in Newmarket, which has an exclusively Italian wine list, Leisha Jones says their vino selection wouldn’t have been complete without a chilled red.
“While you see a lot of chilled reds in central Auckland, it’s not as common in this part of town. We are all about encouraging people to have a little fun and try something new.”
Mama’s ‘Poderi Cellario E Rosso!’ is “vibrant and juicy” and comes in a shareable 1 litre bottle. It pairs beautifully with Mama’s creamy, house-made ricotta with confit and fresh tomatoes.
“It’s also a great match for simple tomato pastas, like our spaghetti with vodka sauce, ricotta and basil oil.”
Hastings-based organic and biodynamic winemaker Annabelle Koopman of Aard says the rise of chilled reds comes at a time when New Zealanders are embracing other wine styles besides classic international varietals.
“It feels like consumers are switching to brighter, fresher styles of wine that aren’t overly oaked or extracted. Chilled reds can be a playful, vibrant and, importantly, an approachable way to make red wine without it ending up too heavy or tired,” she says.
Is there an agreed definition for chilled red?
For Connell, a chilled red is defined by its style.
“They’re characterised by light tannin, bright aromatics and a sense of immediacy. One of the things we love about this style is that they’re being made from a wide range of varieties in all manner of regions and climates.”
Shchepetkin at Ground says there’s no particular definition for a chilled red “outside of its state, of course”. He recommends looking out for “fresh, zesty, light reds. Wines that are young and fruity and easy to drink”. That means low alcohol grenache, gamay, pinot noir, cabernet franc, cinsault, frappato… “the list is practically unlimited”.
Can you chill any old red?
Connell is a fan of letting people drink wine “however the hell they like”, but there are some caveats.
“As a general guide, if it’s fruitful, light and low in tannin, it’ll probably do well chilled. If it’s tannic, full-bodied and complex, I’d avoid chilling.”
Tannins are naturally occurring compounds in grape skins, seeds and oak that add structure and a touch of dryness to the finish. They’re found at higher levels in fuller-bodied reds like cabernet sauvignon, nebbiolo, shiraz and malbec.
What does chilling do to the flavour of the wine?
“Like white wine and rose, chilling reds helps them to pop,” says Connell. “They’re fresher and more lively.”
Connell says we drink reds too warm generally.
“Regardless of the wine, I put all reds in the fridge for 20 minutes or so before I drink them. In terms of fully chilling a red, I suggest a taste will help you decide. If it’s light, supple and fruity, chuck it in the fridge.”
Shchepetkin says choosing to chill the wine is a stylistic choice, and if the red wine isn’t balanced to start with, no amount of chilling will save it.
“However, if the conditions are just right and the wine is zingy and fresh without too much bitterness or unripe character, it will ask to be chilled!”
Chilling red isn’t new, right? What are its origins?
Chilled reds’ presence on local drinks lists might seem recent, but it’s a drink with ancient roots. In Mediterranean Europe, from Beaujolais to northern Italy, light reds were traditionally served cool from cellar storage dating back hundreds of years. Before central heating, “room temperature” meant around 12-16C, so red wines were never intended to be served warm.
It seems like all chilled reds are natural wines, but is that accurate?
Chilled reds share the freshness and energy of natural wines, but they aren’t the same thing.
Koopman says the perception comes partly from NZ’s younger winemakers “looking for more freshness and vibrancy in their wines. They aren’t necessarily playing by the ‘rules’ and might be a bit more experimental in their winemaking choices”. That means crafting more chillable expressions.
Connell sees a generational shift, too.
“It’s part of a bigger conversation and move away from the pomp and snobbery around wine. Chilled red, being deliberately playful and immediate, is certainly a poster child for that (as is Pet-Nat). And yes, the natural wine movement has been a vehicle for it, though not exclusively, as it counters the very commercial side of the industry.”
Are winemakers purposefully crafting reds designed to be served chilled?
Absolutely, and doing a cracking job of it, says Connell.
“For regions like Hawke’s Bay, which grow more full-bodied varieties, this is a great way for them to express the lighter, fun side of what they do. And further south, we grow a lot of pinot noir, which produces excellent chilled reds.”
With so many vineyards now planted in red varieties, crafting reds specifically to serve chilled is a modern response to what those grapes can do, explains Koopman.
“That’s definitely our situation at Aard. While I love syrah and can get really into a big, deep glass of red wine, it’s not my normal go-to choice, and I feel like that sentiment is shared by many younger drinkers.”
Aard’s current releases are in short supply now, available in limited numbers at Pici Wine Bar, Goblin, Cahn’s and By the Bottle, with new chillable reds coming later this year. Pinot 2025 is a single-barrel wine made from pinot noir using 50% whole-bunch and 50% destemmed fruit, which Koopman says is a light and delicate expression of the variety.
“It reminds me of those old school strawberry gummy lollies, very subtle tannin, refreshing and moreish.”
Which winemaking techniques create chillable reds?
Light extraction (not messing around with the grapes as they ferment, just letting them sit), and maybe a shorter time on the skins, says Koopman.
“Carbonic fermentation helps with this as well, as does colder fermentations, and harvesting a bit earlier than we would for a bigger red wine.”
Carbonic maceration is when whole grapes ferment inside their skins in a CO2-filled tank, creating light, juicy, low-tannin reds perfect for chilling.
“This brings softer tannins and heaps of juicy fruitiness to a wine, and also not an intense dark colour,” says Koopman.
Another technique for creating aromatic and lifted reds is whole-bunch fermentation, where the winemaker ferments whole grape clusters instead of destemming the fruit first.
And what about that theory of bad reds being chilled for the gullible?
Shchepetkin says there’s some truth to the idea, but it’s not quite that sinister.
“There are some wines that producers or salespeople ask to be chilled to mask certain faults,” he explains. “The common one is acetaldehyde, a cinnamon-spiced-bread flavour that occurs when fermentation is too hot or some berries are overripe.”
In a bright, juicy wine, that note can throw things off. Chilling the wine to around 12C can soften the effect and restore balance. So yes, sometimes chilling is a strategic move, more about fixing the wine than fooling the drinker.
The best examples are crafted from the outset to be bright, balanced and delicious at cooler temperatures. Here are five to swoon over now.
Shop The Story: 5 Chilled Reds To Try Now
A lifted, fragrant Central Otago pinot noir with bright cranberry crunch and gentle tannins.
A pinot noir made in the style of Tavel rose, sitting between a deep rose and a light red, with bright berry fruit, floral hibiscus notes and a subtle herbal spice on the finish.
A lively Marlborough field blend fermented under plum trees, this chill-friendly red is bright and juicy with cherry, raspberry and blood-orange notes and gentle spice.
A bright, ultra-light red with redcurrant, raspberry, and a touch of blood orange and wild herbs. Naturally fermented and low-alcohol, designed to be served chilled and ideal for relaxed summer drinking.
Hebe ‘Red’ is a naturally made, organic Marlborough pinot noir: hand-picked, wild-fermented and gently aged in barrel, then bottled unfiltered and unfined.
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