I really like iced red wine. Anyone who has ever drank red wine with me (your mother and my therapist) will know that I like my wine cold. I keep red in the fridge unless it’s winter, and if I’m given room-temperature wine you bet your pretty face I’m gonna chuck some ice cubes in that lukewarm culturally accepted abomination.
Most people look at me weird when I do this. We can’t all be enlightened. I won’t doubt that I’m in the minority here, but if cold red is wrong, I don’t want to be right. Thankfully, some winemakers are on my side, releasing reds that are actually made to be chilled, take that woke moralists!
Jacob’s Creek is one of said brands, with their “Lively Bunch” Australian red designed to be enjoyed straight from the fridge, or the esky, or the [insert other cold receptacle here]. Perfect for Summer.
I’m thankful Jacobs Creek “get it” and is providing people like me a viable alternative to the standard “summer” drinks. But what even is a drink of summer?
If you turn to any scene from pop culture you’ll probably be likely to see cold beers, champagne, and beachside martinis and look, don’t get me wrong, I love all those things. They’re all great, but also, they’re all a bit played out, aren’t they?
Plus, one beer is great, sure, but have a few and you’re playing with fire in terms of feeling bloated and sluggish. Spirits are a tad strong on their own if you’re going to be spending hours drinking with friends at a party or BBQ, and while you can add mixers, unless it’s soda water you’re also adding so much sugar to every drink which is not ideal.
Chilled red, on the other hand, is fun, it’s light, it’s different, it’s exciting. And I’d argue naysayers, while entitled to their opinion, are just scared of change and aren’t much fun at parties.
The chilled red stigma needs to end. Especially here in Australia where room-temperature wine and our Aussie heat just doesn’t mix well.
Ultimately, people like what they like, and the fact that we’re all different is a good thing. A world full of the same people liking the same things would be boring, but to dismiss something before you give it a chance is also boring. So enjoy a beer and a cold cocktail, by all means, but also, try something fun and new — try some chilled red. You can thank me later.
Speaking of chilled red, Jacob’s Creek is cooling down certain spots in Aus with some fun ‘cold walls’ popping up in Bondi and Brisbane. What’s a cold wall? Good question. Basically, these pop-up walls invite passers-by to “touch and cool” — a new way to cool down thanks to their innovative heat-resistant technology.
Catch the Bondi wall on the corner of Gould and Curlewis Streets, Bondi, and catch the Brisbane wall on the corner of Wickham and Little Street, Fortitude Valley.
