Love on the rocks

Putting some ice cubes in your glass of vino won’t water down your wine

Last weekend, I conducted an outdoor tasting called Dare to Pair, but given the scorching temperature and soaring humidity, the feats of daring-do related mostly to serving wine samples that tasted the way the winemakers intended.

A crack team of volunteers at Westben Arts Festival Theatre in Campbellford, Ont., ensured the wines presented at the preperformance tasting and luncheon were nicely chilled. Even then it was a race against time to taste them before they quickly warmed in the midday heat. One guests asked if it was OK to put ice cubes in your glass.

On a day like this, it was pretty much a necessity, was my overheated reply.

All joking aside, tossing a cube or two into your Chardonnay won’t water down the wine. For most drinkers, adding ice cubes doesn’t interfere with the intensity of aromas or flavours of wine. Sensory studies reveal more substantial amounts of water need to be introduced before there’s a noticeable difference. So the next time you don’t have a chilled bottle on hand, by all means serve your wine over ice. Wine chemistry is on your side. Westben’s Dare to Pair series continues July 14 with a seminar featuring wines from British Columbia presented by Mark Taylor, vice-president of the B.C. chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers, and a special menu prepared by chef Ron Csenar of I Am Custom Catering. More information is available at westben.ca. Christopher Waters is co-founder and editor of Vines, a national consumer wine magazine.