Controversial Opinions – Put Ice in your White and Rosé and Chill your Red Wine

Controversial question: Should you put ice in your white or rosé wine? 

In our hot South West France summers it’s a definite yes! 

An ice bucket or cooler sleeve will keep your bottle of wine cool on the table. But what about in the glass? When the heat is on, your lovely chilled glass of white like Feely Sincerite or rosé like Feely Sensualite soon turns luke warm.

PLEASE ADD ICE! Wine snobs who say you can’t are wrong. Ice keeps your drink cool and provides much needed hydration in hot weather. We are all for ice in wine and have been for years. Pour small amounts and refill with cool wine to avoid major dilution.

Feely Sincerite Sauv blanc with a good dollop of refreshing ice. OK – we went a little overboard to prove the point in this photo ;).

Controversial question: Should you chill red wine? 

In our hot South West France summers it’s also a definite yes! Lighter-bodied red wines with higher acidity, like Feely Vivacité  and Feely Resonance are great served chilled – fridge cold. Fuller-bodied, tannic wines like classic Bordeaux and Bergerac reds – Feely La Source, Feely Verite and Feely Grace should be served at 16 degrees. About 45 minutes in the fridge should suffice. Then keep the bottle in a chiller on the table especially if you are outside on a hot summer day. The bottle will quickly become too hot if not.

Here are a few of our favourites simple pairings for summer:

• Pizza with Sensualité Rosé – with ice on a hot day 😉 – or with a light chilled red like Feely Vivacité Cab Sauv.

• Melon (ideally the orange ‘honey’ melon kind) straight up or with jambon de Bayonne, and Silex Semillon dry white wine is truly delicious. The acidity is in balance, and honey and melon flavours can be found in Semillon.

• Freshly picked courgette finely mandolin sliced and marinated in lemon juice and olive oil (for at least 15 minutes) is heaven with a pure Ch Feely Sincerité Sauvignon blanc from South West France, or a Sancerre from the Loire Valley.

• Tomato, basil and garlic with balsamic and olive oil with a juicy, natural wine like Feely Resonance Merlot or the lovely light Feely Vivacité Cab Sauv served chilled.

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Read the full story of our vineyard adventures in the book series; ‘Grape Expectations’, ‘Saving our Skins’, ‘Vineyard Confessions’ and ‘Cultivating Change’.  

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