Notes from the Chiesa del Carmine Sommelier Mattia

I would like to present a practical solution on how to enjoy the Chiesa del Carmine red wines in the soaring temperatures of the Umbrian summer.

Serving temperature is a key element to enjoying reds over the summer when room temperature can be way above 18-20 degrees and the exposure to the heat might significantly influence the characteristics of the wine and may lead to a deceptive perception and judgment of the product.

Keeping red wine in the fridge (before drinking it, not for storage) in the hottest months of the year is always recommended, especially for light to medium-bodied, medium-structured, fruit-forward, fresh reds which beg to be enjoyed cooler (14-16 degrees or even lower). That is the case with our red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sagrantino, the new Bell’angelo 2018, a juicy, supple wine with soft tannins.

In general, when serving temperature is too high, the perception of alcohol gets stronger since acidity and freshness are anesthetised by the heat; if that happens, the wine may taste overly bitter and flat and that may lead to crisp, fruity, easy to drink wines getting remarkably penalised.

Depending on the fridge temperature (if it’s not a bespoke wine fridge at 12-14 degrees or so), you may need to take the bottles out a bit earlier before serving the wine.
In any case, it is always better to serve a glass of red wine cooler rather than hotter and the concept behind this procedure is that you can warm the liquid up by holding the glass by the goblet/cup and after a few minutes the wine will have reached the perfect serving temperature; on the other hand, if a wine is too hot, you can’t do anything about it.

When you go to a restaurant in the summer and order red wine, always ask the waiter to bring a glacette. Even if they might look puzzled upon your request, and regardless of the temperature the bottle is served at: in fact, even though the serving temperature was perfect, you could well need an ice bucket to keep the liquid fresh and ready for the second or third glass.