The mercury is sky-high now, and it’s not gonna drop anytime soon. We’re in it for the long haul, people!

Now normally, I’m the first to advocate reaching for a glacier-cold bottle of white or rosé, but you know what? Not this week! No, fellow oenophiles and vino-noobs, this week, I’m telling you to grab a bottle of red. Yep. You read that correctly.

Read on, and don’t judge.

Little known fact: traditionally, wine (all wine, even white) is drunk at cellar temperature, which is ideally at 55* F. That straight-out-of-the-fridge Sauvignon Blanc you grab while the sun climbs the skies? Probably too cold. That room temp. Pinot Noir you enjoy with dinner? Probably too warm. Temperature does wonderful things to wine: too cold and aromas are arrested in the glass and all you taste is acid; too warm and a wine tastes flat, devoid of flavor and nuance, tasting of its heavier elements rather than something wholly enjoyable.

But we’re talking about reds here. A slight chill and the right wine (put away the Cab and the Barolos; these powerhouses don’t take to the cold well) will sing with fruit, acidity and balance. When you chill your lighter-bodied reds, you’ll taste fruit, smell flowers and smack your lips thanks to delicious refreshment. Give it a try with the vinos below!

 Domaine Philippe Delesvaux, Anjou: This is one of my favorite reds to chill! Light, with some easy-going cherry notes, this too-easy-to-drink red is a flavorful burst of refreshment.

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