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3 top tips for serving wine in the summer | FT #shorts
The Signal
In hot weather, maintaining wine temperature requires a shift from standard serving practices. The narrator argues that external heat necessitates cooler service temperatures—including for red wines—and smaller, more frequent pours to combat rapid warming in the glass. Pragmatic cooling methods and the conditional use of ice are framed as acceptable, provided the focus is on maintaining wine quality rather than strict adherence to traditional service norms.
The Case
- Serve all wine, including red varieties, slightly cooler than room temperature during summer to account for warmer ambient conditions.
- Pour small amounts into the glass at a time to minimize the time the wine spends warming up once it leaves the bottle.
- Use a vacuum cooling device rather than an ice bucket to keep bottle temperatures stable while avoiding the inevitable drips caused by melting ice and water.
- Adding clean, odor-free ice cubes to wine is acceptable if the bottle is very warm and not a particularly special vintage, a practice the narrator claims to use even in restaurants to potentially lower the alcohol content.
- The narrator will host a tasting of selected New York state wines at the FT Weekend Festival in New York on Saturday, 20 June, with registration available at ft.com/festival-us.
The 1 Minute Signal Take
This is a straightforward, common-sense guide for casual wine drinkers that avoids unnecessary pretension without sacrificing practical temperature control. While the claims about vacuum devices and alcohol reduction are presented without independent audit, they function as helpful tips rather than technical mandates. Skip it unless you specifically need the event details, as the summary captures the entirety of the advice.
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