With temperatures set to hit the balmy highs of 26°C in the southeast today, the real question is: what are we drinking? A cold, crisp white or bone-dry rosé might be the obvious choice, but we’re here to make the case for a chilled red.
Racing to our rescue, Aldi has just launched a new ‘smart’ red wine bottle, complete with a thermochromic ‘chill-to-reveal’ label that changes colour when it hits the ideal drinking temperature. Genius.
We’re the first to admit it sounds like an April Fool’s, so naturally we had to put it to the test.
If you’ve not tried your red wine chilled before, it can be surprisingly tricky to get it right. Go too cold and you kill the flavour. Not cold enough, and it’ll just taste a bit heavy – not exactly what you want in 26°C heat.
Typically, you’d reach for a lighter style (think Beaujolais or Pinot Noir) and chill it for around 30–60 minutes before serving. But Aldi’s new Specially Selected Rouge Clair does the hard work for you, with a label that turns blue when it hits the sweet spot – around 10°C.
So, is it actually worth picking up?
Aldi is being a bit mysterious about the blend of grapes and the wine region. However, we found it to be light, smooth and very easy-drinking. You can expect juicy red fruit – think sun-kissed strawberries, red cherries and a slightly candied edge that works brilliantly when served chilled. It’s priced at the sweet spot of just £8.99, and with an ABV of 11%, it's ideal for picnics and BBQs.
Aldi’s Specially Selected Rouge Clair ticks all our boxes for summer sipping and the fridge-friendly bottle is made for exactly this kind of weather. We’ll be pairing ours with charcuterie and pizza tonight. In-store now, we'll be grabbing another bottle, before it sells out.
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
