Chill out and get a fridge

I long considered wine fridges an obtrusive extravagance, but I’m now an enthusiastic convert. A few things changed my mind – one being a friend in Hong Kong who kept a discreet stash of Grand Cru Burgundies in a compact fridge, ready to savour at an ideal temperature any time.

Back in Australia, living in sub-tropical Queensland and with a growing collection of much-loved wines, I was increasingly anxious about their ability to outlast more than a few of our intense summers. I’d sequestered the bulk of them away in boxes in the bottom of a cupboard in the darkest corner of the house. However, every cellaring guide will tell you this is not the ideal option. In the height of summer, enjoying any wine involves refrigeration, followed by an extended breathing and acclimatisation. It’s a lot of trouble to get right. If the wine’s resilience is overstretched, I would be subjected to a mouthful of acid and tannin. It was definitely taking the joy out of pinot noir.

Finally, I saw the light and had a wine fridge delivered.

In short, it was a revelation. I sleep well during balmy nights, knowing my wines are all doing well. The rewards have been especially great with pinot noir. Brought out of the fridge at 15 degrees and given a little time to acclimatise, they open up in all their glory akin to an angelic chorus. As Marie Kondo would say, it sparked joy!

The moral, of course, is to do what it takes to find room in your wine budget for a decent fridge. You’ll be instantly rewarded. On top of that, there’s a moral dimension: do we not owe our wines the same love and care that was shown by their makers?

David Luxton Currumbin, QLD