The idea that red wine is best consumed at "room temperature" is probably only a little older than the attempt to make this nonsense a thing of the past. Nevertheless, it is surprisingly persistent. Even 20 degrees is actually too warm for any wine, and at 28 degrees even the best red wine is just broth. This makes it all the more surprising how many restaurants, bars and pubs serve red wines unchilled even in the hottest summer heat. Because: room temperature. The sacrilege is only officially committed when you order ice cubes to go with it.
Oh, you can, in fact you should! Not only does even the strongest, most tannic red wine taste better at less than 20 degrees than above, many reds are also suitable for drinking noticeably cooler.
Just not the ones with the most tannin. There are basically only two rules: Take reds with more moderate tannins and those with as little flavourful wood as possible. Both become more dominant the cooler the wine is served. A fruity and fresh character can also do no harm. But in the end, it's a matter of taste whether you choose a crisp, cherry-fruity Zweigelt, an elegant Pinot Noir or a complex, heavy Chateauneuf-du-Pape. You can't go wrong here - whatever tastes good is allowed. Dogmas have no place in the world of wine anyway. And the best thing about it: if the wine gets too cold, just be patient - it will warm up on its own.
Speaking of dogmas: the next time you are served wine at the temperature of bath water in a restaurant, order ice cubes to go with it! The trick is to make a face as if everyone else is a fool. After all, they are!
Below are our suggestions from the current tasting, very (really very) roughly sorted by style.