Wine Box: Chilled reds

A publican in a remote village recently refused to chill a bottle of red wine to go with my fish 'n' chips. He simply couldn't understand cold red wine.

The wine was too warm because it was stored under hot lights but, judiciously, I let him have his way, when I saw a gaggle of hefty locals seemingly straight from the set of Deliverance.

There is a serious point to this. Some light, low-tannin reds are much better chilled in summer, at about 10-12C. The following will all benefit from time in the fridge:

Le Catalan Old Vine Grenache 2000 (Sainsbury's, £5.99; Tesco, £5.88). We don't buy Grenache as we might Merlot, yet it's the world's second-most-planted grape. This one's rustic, with flavours of black plum and mountain herb. Chilled, it's a great match for any peasant-style salad.

Babich Pinotage/Cabernet Franc 2000 (Tesco, £5.99). New Zealand sometimes fails to eek out great strength and depth in its reds as this 'cold climate' offering attests. Odd grape mix, but it works well when chilled, and even better with pizza and pasta.

Beaujolais-Villages, Louis Jadot, Combe aux Jacques 2001 (Asda, Tesco, Safeway, Waitrose, £5.99). At its best, Beaujolais is zesty, fresh and vibrantly fruity. This one's light with fair aromas of cassis and raspberries. Cold, it's a palate pleaser with a plate of crustaceans.

Previously on Wine Box