The Auswine Forum

Now that we have hit Autumn at last and for me living in hot clammy Brisbane that generally means the start of cooler weather. Coinciding with much nicer red wine drinking temperatures.

My curiosity is with guys like Daryl Douglas and the like who live up in the far North of Queensland that from what i understand love there big red wines but don't really live in a region that enhances that style of drinking.

For me i still drink whites through the hot months but really enjoy big heavy reds that don't really work in a Brisbane Summer.

So what do you do in hot months/regions???

a] Put up with it and drink them anyway?
b] Drink in A/c comfort?
c] Drink lighter reds?
d] Wait till it cools down?

Interested in your replies

ross

Answer: a)
I think anytime is ok, provided the wine is at the right temp, which definitely requires more work and sometimes forward planning in yor neck of the woods.

d) for me

For me, a), b) and e) - drink more sparkling reds.

Usually b sometimes c and b together

(d), generally and I quite like the seasonality and variety that comes from that. So difficult to stomach big reds in a 45 degree heatwave.

Good question. Ever since I had a 1999 Moss Wood cab and a 02 St Henri that were both very weird to drink in 34 and humid conditions (Live in Perth), I have slowed down heaps on reds in summer. Used to drink them all the way through without hesitation (probably in air-conditioned areas looking back) but this was a complete waist of very good wine that scared me. So D.

Great beer and even spirits win a lot during summer period and the occasional outstanding white.

I still love a big red when it's hot, and I'm inclined to stick them in the fridge for 15 mins before serving

However, when it's really, really, really f**king hot I do like a good, ice cold Clare Riesling. Had a lovely Pewsey Vale when it hit 40 odd here in Melbourne and it reached parts that other wines couldn't reach.

Reading that sentence reminds me of my constant ability to write utter drivel.

Give them a good chill in the fridge and (b), a lighter chill in winter. The daily max temp then still doesn't often get below 25C but in the evenings the temp is mostly a comfortable low 20s or high teens, sometimes dropping to mid-teens before sleepy time time. When it gets around 10C or less overnight, it's cold.

Cheers

daz

d) for me. I love reds, but just don't enjoy them in warm weather. I reckon warm weahter makes reds taste more alcoholic.

Yup, a nice autumnal 37 degrees in Perth today . Usually this would put me in cold riesling mood, but I just fancied a red. Slipped a Castano Monastrell 2005 in the fridge, went off to cricket practice and came back a couple of hours later to a cool red wine in a cool bath. Lovely!

Cheers

Dave

OK......(b) for me, although in very hot humid conditions, I admit to slightly chilling the bottle!

& like the Red Bigot...... I enjoy a cold sparkling red in the heat of summer ( In the appropriate glassware of course! ) ....matter of fact ANY BLOODY TIME !

Cheers

Ronaldo

Roscoe wrote:Answer: a)
I think anytime is ok, provided the wine is at the right temp, which definitely requires more work and sometimes forward planning in yor neck of the woods.

Totally agree

Good question!

a), c) and d) from me (we don't have aircon otherwise it would be b) as well).

If I am drinking heavier reds, I wait till later in the evening and chill them down a bit. I drink more sparkling red. I have the odd rose and the occasional white. I do stop drinking port for about three months (and a little part of me dies inside ) so I look forward to.....well, round about now!! Roll on the chilly nighttimes!

Cheers

Michael

Rawshack wrote:
However, when it's really, really, really f**king hot I do like a good, ice cold Clare Riesling. Had a lovely Pewsey Vale when it hit 40 odd here in Melbourne and it reached parts that other wines couldn't reach.

Reading that sentence reminds me of my constant ability to write utter drivel.

And inaccurate drivel too mind you -Pewsey Vale is Eden Valley Riesling
GW

Red Bigot wrote:For me, a), b) and e) - drink more sparkling reds.

I think that sums it up for me nicely Brian !

Well, for those of us who live in the hottest city in Australia – Melbourne it’s also f) pinot, and g) cool the big reds.

So my (our – including partner) hot day would go something like this - and quantity would depend on weekend or weekday – icy cold beer; possibly a cold Chardonnay during the afternoon before the meal; typically a Pinot with the meal (ideal with some seafood done on the barby); then, as the sun’s setting, a fuller red taken from the wine fridge i.e. slightly cooled, and drunk in the cooler evening temperature.

cheers

I have to deal with the opposite problem here. It never gets too hot really (rarely above 35 C), but the winter gets *&%*&^% cold when I'm living up north. When it's -30 or -40 C outside, it's pretty hard to drink white wines (or eat ice cream)!

Just when you think its all over.....the hot weather that is.....its going to be 31 degrees here in Brisbane on Saturday and Sunday!!!

Have to pull a Delatite riesling out of the frig on weekend


ross

17 - 19c here in Adelaide for the next week, with a few showers - just Perfect.

Yeah, getting a little nippy here in Sydney.

Pulling heavier reds out of the cellar.

Looking away from Pinot lately...

Perth cold as well. 2000 Jeannaret Denis Shiraz slipping down a treat

cheers

Carl

Take the red wine/s from the wine fridge, decant it and check the temp of the wine in the decanter, consume when it reach around 17/18/19 deg C.
Cheers,
Boyeah

griff wrote:Perth cold as well. 2000 Jeannaret Denis Shiraz slipping down a treat

cheers

Carl

Nice! Hopefully, my remaining couple of bottles of the 2002 won't be TCA affected as was the last bottle declared to be................another story.

Enjoy

daz

Daryl Douglas wrote:

griff wrote:Perth cold as well. 2000 Jeannaret Denis Shiraz slipping down a treat

cheers

Carl

Nice! Hopefully, my remaining couple of bottles of the 2002 won't be TCA affected as was the last bottle declared to be................another story.

Enjoy

daz

This is the last of six. One a few months back was corked but it was gladly replaced by the nice folk at Jeannaret with a 2004. Excellent customer service. Even better is that the 04 is under screwcap

cheers

Carl

griff wrote:This is the last of six. One a few months back was corked but it was gladly replaced by the nice folk at Jeannaret with a 2004. Excellent customer service. Even better is that the 04 is under screwcap

cheers

Carl

Thanks for the prompt Carl. Don't know why it didn't occur to me to contact Jeanneret (sorry for being pedantic) before. I've just sent a message with a link to my original post here in which I reported the corked bottle.

Cheers

daz

Daryl Douglas wrote:

griff wrote:This is the last of six. One a few months back was corked but it was gladly replaced by the nice folk at Jeannaret with a 2004. Excellent customer service. Even better is that the 04 is under screwcap

cheers

Carl

Thanks for the prompt Carl. Don't know why it didn't occur to me to contact Jeanneret (sorry for being pedantic) before. I've just sent a message with a link to my original post here in which I reported the corked bottle.

Cheers

daz

Good luck!

Had the sparkling grenache from them recently and while I didn't like it too much it was a hearty yes from the better half.

cheers

Carl

p.s. too much time being a pedant in my ordinary course of life results in some liberties taken in the virtual

Carl, I'm a long-term public servant so pedantry is a given, an ingrained trait that can annoy some.

Oh well

daz

Daryl Douglas wrote:Carl, I'm a long-term public servant so pedantry is a given, an ingrained trait that can annoy some.

Oh well

daz

I get the feeling that it doesn't bother you too much though

cheers

Carl

The "Oh well" says it all